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44.6 percent of high school dropouts and 72.3 percent of college graduates employed in August 2019

September 11, 2019

In August 2019, 62.5 percent of people age 25 and over were employed. The employment–population ratio among those with less than a high school education was 44.6 percent, while those with at least a bachelor's degree had an employment–population ratio of 72.3 percent.

 Employment–population ratio of people age 25 years and over, by educational attainment, January 2005–August 2019

Month

Total, all educational levels, age 25 and over

Less than a high school diploma

High school graduates, no college

Some college or associate degree

Bachelor's degree and higher

Jan 2005

64.1% 41.2% 59.5% 70.0% 76.3%

Feb 2005

64.2 41.8 59.9 69.2 76.3

Mar 2005

64.1 41.6 59.7 70.0 76.0

Apr 2005

64.4 41.0 60.4 70.3 76.0

May 2005

64.5 41.7 60.4 70.6 75.7

Jun 2005

64.4 42.3 60.3 70.0 75.8

Jul 2005

64.5 44.0 60.8 68.6 75.8

Aug 2005

64.7 42.5 60.5 69.6 76.3

Sep 2005

64.5 41.6 60.6 69.7 76.3

Oct 2005

64.5 42.2 60.7 69.2 76.0

Nov 2005

64.4 42.3 60.2 69.3 76.1

Dec 2005

64.5 42.2 60.1 69.5 76.6

Jan 2006

64.6 42.7 59.7 70.0 76.6

Feb 2006

64.6 43.5 59.9 69.3 76.6

Mar 2006

64.8 43.1 60.3 69.7 76.2

Apr 2006

64.7 42.5 60.6 69.7 76.0

May 2006

64.7 42.5 60.5 70.0 76.0

Jun 2006

64.8 42.7 60.9 69.8 76.1

Jul 2006

64.8 43.9 61.0 68.7 75.9

Aug 2006

64.8 43.2 60.5 69.6 76.1

Sep 2006

64.9 42.8 60.6 69.8 76.4

Oct 2006

65.1 43.9 60.7 69.5 76.2

Nov 2006

65.0 43.4 60.3 69.5 76.8

Dec 2006

65.1 43.9 60.1 70.1 76.8

Jan 2007

65.0 43.7 60.0 69.8 76.7

Feb 2007

65.0 44.5 60.2 68.7 77.2

Mar 2007

65.1 44.0 60.4 69.6 77.0

Apr 2007

64.8 42.8 60.3 69.8 76.3

May 2007

65.0 42.7 59.6 70.1 76.5

Jun 2007

64.9 41.8 60.3 69.9 76.5

Jul 2007

64.9 44.1 60.3 68.7 75.6

Aug 2007

64.8 43.3 60.1 69.5 75.6

Sep 2007

64.8 42.7 60.2 69.5 75.9

Oct 2007

64.6 43.6 59.8 68.9 75.5

Nov 2007

64.8 43.1 59.7 69.3 76.1

Dec 2007

64.8 42.8 59.6 69.5 76.4

Jan 2008

64.9 42.6 59.8 69.7 76.5

Feb 2008

64.9 43.4 59.7 68.8 76.8

Mar 2008

64.8 42.6 59.4 69.3 76.8

Apr 2008

64.6 42.1 59.3 69.3 76.4

May 2008

64.5 41.7 59.3 69.2 76.1

Jun 2008

64.5 41.6 59.4 69.0 76.2

Jul 2008

64.4 43.2 59.9 68.0 75.2

Aug 2008

64.1 42.7 59.1 68.4 75.1

Sep 2008

64.0 42.2 58.6 68.3 75.5

Oct 2008

63.8 43.2 58.8 67.7 75.1

Nov 2008

63.6 42.0 58.2 67.5 75.2

Dec 2008

63.2 41.2 57.5 67.7 75.1

Jan 2009

62.8 40.7 57.4 67.2 74.6

Feb 2009

62.4 40.9 56.7 66.5 74.6

Mar 2009

62.0 39.9 56.6 66.5 74.4

Apr 2009

62.0 38.9 56.6 66.3 74.1

May 2009

61.9 38.9 56.4 66.0 74.1

Jun 2009

61.8 38.9 56.6 65.6 74.0

Jul 2009

61.7 40.5 56.3 65.2 73.3

Aug 2009

61.5 39.9 55.9 65.4 73.4

Sep 2009

61.2 39.9 55.4 64.6 73.6

Oct 2009

61.1 39.8 55.1 64.6 73.7

Nov 2009

61.2 39.3 55.5 64.2 73.7

Dec 2009

60.8 38.6 54.8 64.3 73.5

Jan 2010

61.1 39.0 55.2 65.3 73.2

Feb 2010

61.0 39.4 55.3 64.6 73.0

Mar 2010

61.1 39.5 55.5 65.0 73.1

Apr 2010

61.3 39.4 55.7 65.2 73.3

May 2010

61.1 39.1 55.1 65.2 73.6

Jun 2010

61.2 39.0 55.2 65.1 73.8

Jul 2010

61.1 40.4 55.3 64.4 72.9

Aug 2010

61.0 39.8 55.7 64.3 72.4

Sep 2010

61.0 39.3 55.7 63.7 73.2

Oct 2010

60.8 39.7 55.2 64.3 72.7

Nov 2010

60.7 39.2 54.9 63.9 72.8

Dec 2010

60.9 39.0 54.5 64.5 73.4

Jan 2011

60.8 38.9 54.6 64.6 73.1

Feb 2011

60.8 39.2 54.6 63.9 73.3

Mar 2011

60.9 39.4 54.8 64.4 73.2

Apr 2011

60.9 38.7 54.4 64.5 73.4

May 2011

60.9 38.5 54.4 64.2 73.8

Jun 2011

60.7 38.7 54.4 63.9 73.4

Jul 2011

60.7 40.1 54.7 63.3 73.1

Aug 2011

60.8 40.5 54.6 63.4 72.9

Sep 2011

60.8 40.1 54.7 63.2 73.3

Oct 2011

60.7 41.0 54.7 63.4 72.7

Nov 2011

60.9 40.8 54.9 63.4 72.6

Dec 2011

61.0 40.4 54.5 64.0 73.0

Jan 2012

60.8 39.6 54.6 64.6 72.4

Feb 2012

60.9 40.1 54.3 64.1 72.8

Mar 2012

61.0 39.8 54.5 64.2 73.0

Apr 2012

60.9 39.3 54.6 63.9 73.1

May 2012

60.9 38.9 54.6 63.5 73.7

Jun 2012

60.9 39.4 54.9 63.8 73.0

Jul 2012

60.8 40.8 54.3 63.2 72.8

Aug 2012

60.9 40.4 54.5 63.6 72.7

Sep 2012

61.0 40.2 54.2 64.0 73.1

Oct 2012

61.2 40.6 54.9 64.0 72.8

Nov 2012

61.0 39.7 54.7 63.9 72.5

Dec 2012

61.1 39.9 54.3 64.2 72.9

Jan 2013

60.8 39.8 54.2 63.9 72.8

Feb 2013

60.9 41.4 53.6 63.6 72.6

Mar 2013

60.9 40.5 54.0 63.9 72.6

Apr 2013

60.9 39.1 54.3 63.7 72.8

May 2013

61.0 39.8 54.8 63.9 72.7

Jun 2013

60.9 40.1 54.8 63.2 72.6

Jul 2013

61.0 40.9 54.7 62.9 72.6

Aug 2013

61.0 40.7 54.3 63.5 72.9

Sep 2013

60.8 40.3 54.3 63.5 72.6

Oct 2013

60.5 40.1 53.9 62.6 72.4

Nov 2013

60.8 39.6 54.1 63.3 72.5

Dec 2013

60.8 39.5 54.2 63.4 72.7

Jan 2014

61.0 39.5 54.6 63.2 73.1

Feb 2014

61.0 41.5 54.8 62.8 72.4

Mar 2014

61.0 41.4 54.8 63.1 72.3

Apr 2014

61.0 40.1 54.3 63.1 72.9

May 2014

61.0 40.0 54.3 63.4 72.9

Jun 2014

61.2 39.7 54.7 63.9 72.6

Jul 2014

61.1 40.6 54.5 63.6 72.2

Aug 2014

61.2 41.2 54.4 64.1 72.3

Sep 2014

61.2 41.0 54.9 63.5 72.4

Oct 2014

61.2 41.9 54.6 63.4 72.5

Nov 2014

61.2 41.5 54.4 63.4 72.4

Dec 2014

61.3 41.5 54.7 63.2 72.5

Jan 2015

61.3 41.5 54.8 63.4 72.5

Feb 2015

61.2 42.7 54.1 63.2 72.2

Mar 2015

61.3 41.4 54.1 64.2 72.5

Apr 2015

61.3 41.8 54.0 64.1 72.6

May 2015

61.3 40.7 53.9 64.3 73.0

Jun 2015

61.4 41.1 54.2 64.2 72.6

Jul 2015

61.3 42.2 54.0 63.3 72.4

Aug 2015

61.2 41.6 53.9 63.7 72.6

Sep 2015

61.2 41.2 54.0 63.3 72.4

Oct 2015

61.3 42.2 54.3 62.8 72.4

Nov 2015

61.3 42.5 54.2 63.2 72.3

Dec 2015

61.4 42.5 53.9 63.6 72.4

Jan 2016

61.6 42.1 54.9 63.6 72.1

Feb 2016

61.6 43.2 54.5 63.8 71.8

Mar 2016

61.7 43.2 54.2 63.6 72.6

Apr 2016

61.5 42.8 54.2 63.2 72.6

May 2016

61.5 41.2 54.3 63.8 72.4

Jun 2016

61.6 42.0 54.4 63.4 72.4

Jul 2016

61.6 43.7 54.3 63.7 72.0

Aug 2016

61.5 42.7 54.3 63.9 72.1

Sep 2016

61.6 41.5 54.3 64.0 72.3

Oct 2016

61.7 41.9 54.8 63.6 72.3

Nov 2016

61.6 41.5 54.9 63.4 72.1

Dec 2016

61.5 41.6 54.8 63.7 71.9

Jan 2017

61.6 41.7 55.0 63.3 72.1

Feb 2017

61.7 42.8 55.1 63.2 71.5

Mar 2017

61.8 42.4 55.0 63.8 72.0

Apr 2017

61.8 41.9 55.2 63.2 72.3

May 2017

61.7 42.4 55.1 63.1 72.2

Jun 2017

61.8 42.5 55.3 63.0 72.3

Jul 2017

61.9 43.9 55.0 62.9 72.1

Aug 2017

61.8 43.2 54.7 63.4 72.2

Sep 2017

62.0 43.2 54.8 63.5 72.6

Oct 2017

61.9 43.5 54.5 63.3 72.3

Nov 2017

62.0 42.9 55.1 63.7 72.1

Dec 2017

61.9 42.1 55.3 63.9 71.9

Jan 2018

61.8 42.3 55.0 63.8 71.8

Feb 2018

62.1 44.2 55.0 63.3 71.9

Mar 2018

62.0 43.2 54.6 63.3 72.5

Apr 2018

62.0 43.3 54.5 63.1 72.6

May 2018

62.2 42.7 55.1 63.5 72.6

Jun 2018

62.1 43.4 55.6 63.1 72.3

Jul 2018

62.2 44.5 55.5 63.2 71.9

Aug 2018

62.2 43.7 55.1 63.2 72.6

Sep 2018

62.1 43.5 55.3 63.1 72.2

Oct 2018

62.3 44.9 55.3 63.2 72.0

Nov 2018

62.3 44.0 55.6 63.2 72.1

Dec 2018

62.4 43.4 55.9 63.5 72.0

Jan 2019

62.4 42.6 56.3 63.2 72.2

Feb 2019

62.5 44.5 56.0 63.3 71.9

Mar 2019

62.4 43.4 55.8 63.0 72.2

Apr 2019

62.2 42.8 55.9 62.6 72.3

May 2019

62.1 42.2 55.4 63.5 72.2

Jun 2019

62.2 43.0 55.6 62.7 72.3

Jul 2019

62.2 44.7 55.4 62.9 71.8

Aug 2019

62.5 44.6 55.3 63.6 72.3

Since 2005, the employment–population ratio for people with less than a high school diploma has ranged from a low of 38.5 percent in May 2011 to a high of 44.9 percent in October 2018. The ratio has been 44.0 percent or higher only during 1 month in 2005, 3 months in 2007, and 7 months during 2018 and 2019.

Over the 2005–19 period, the employment–population ratio for people with a high school diploma (no college) reached its high of 61.0 percent in July 2006 and its low of 53.6 percent in February 2013.

The highest ratio during this period for people with some college or an associate degree was 70.6 percent in May 2005; the low was 62.6 percent in October 2013 and April 2019.

The highest employment-population ratio among people with a bachelor's degree or higher education during the 2005–19 period was 77.2 percent in February 2007, while the lowest ratio for these people was 71.5 percent in February 2017.

These data are from the Current Population Survey. See "The Employment Situation — August 2019" for more information. More charts featuring Current Population Survey data are presented in Charts related to the latest "The Employment Situation" news release. The employment–population ratio is the proportion of the civilian noninstitutional population that is employed.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, 44.6 percent of high school dropouts and 72.3 percent of college graduates employed in August 2019 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2019/44-6-percent-of-high-school-dropouts-and-72-3-percent-of-college-graduates-employed-in-august-2019.htm (visited March 28, 2024).

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