We are certainly hearing a lot about the bad economy. While West Virginia is said to have it better then most, there has been more then enough outlets sharing the news of layoffs in our home state. One large indicator for the economy is the "unemployment rate ." It is a percentage of those in the labor force who are unemployed. West Virginia is at around 4.5% unemployment right now, while the nation has climbed to over 8%.
These numbers tend to set the stage for how most determine how other people are doing. However, a recent article in Newsweek by Zachary Karabell says to use caution when trying to understand what this means for our working Americans. Here, he shares some more details about what high unemployment means to certain groups of our population.
Not only are the headline numbers based on a statistical fiction called the "U.S. workforce," they are also an average that masks huge variations. If you are 25 years old and have no high-school diploma, your chance of being unemployed isn't 7.6%; it's 12%. If you are African-American, it's 12.6% If you have a bachelor's degree, it's 3.8%. The sharpest increase in the past year has been young men without a college degree losing their jobs, not the white-collar workers that have been the subject of such attention in the media and in Congress. In short, race, class and education are more serious issues for overall employment than the headline numbers convey.
By examining what Karabell has pointed out, you can see that not having a high school diploma at age 25 is a tough position to be in, even worse if you are an African-American. However, if you have invested in your education, on average, you are much more likely to be employed. In West Virginia our 2007 high school graduation rate was estimated at 75% and only 14.8% of those over the age 25 have a college degree.
This really shows how much more we can do in the area of education. We have too many West Virginians who are at risk of losing a job in a bad economy and not having the knowledge and skills required to transition to a new industry or new economy job. We must encourage those who do have the opportunity to get a higher education to do it and we must continue to look for new ways to provide additional opportunities for those in need.
Just this week, President Obama in addressing congress, also made a clear connection between education and our economy by making a call for every American to commit to one year or more of higher education. It was a clear recogniton of the importance of improving the knowledge and skills of our workforce to empower America to compete in a global economy.
And so tonight, I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma. And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It’s not just quitting on yourself, it’s quitting on your country – and this country needs and values the talents of every American.
Remember, no matter your current situation, be a lifelong learner and continue to seek out educational opportunities. It is a great investment for you and your country in a tough economy.
Posted by Lee Kraus, Ed.D.
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