This document summarizes unemployment rates by educational attainment from December 2007 to November 2017 according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It shows that unemployment rates were highest for those with less than a high school education and lowest for those with a bachelor's degree or higher at all time periods. Unemployment rates increased substantially for all education levels from December 2007 to June 2009 during the Great Recession but have since declined, with rates remaining highest for those with less education.

1. DataPost
Does Education Matter?
Job Losses since the Great Recession
Date last updated: December 8, 2017
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
Education & Outreach

2. Unemployment by Educational Attainment
Seasonally adjusted, %
5.0
7.7
4.7
3.8
2.1
9.5
15.6
9.7
8.1
4.8
4.1
5.2
4.3
3.6
2.1
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Total Less than High
School
HS Graduate, No
College
Some College or
Associate Degree
Bachelor's Degree
and Higher
Dec. 2007 Jun. 2009 Nov. 2017
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
DataPost www.frbsf.org/education/teacher-resources/datapost FRBSF Education & Outreach

3. 5.0
7.7
4.7
3.8
2.1
9.5
15.6
9.7
8.1
4.8
4.1
5.2
4.3
3.6
2.1
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Total Less than High
School
HS Graduate, No
College
Some College or
Associate Degree
Bachelor's Degree
and Higher
Dec. 2007 Jun. 2009 Nov. 2017
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
DataPost
Annotated Chart Notes
Unemployment by Educational Attainment
Seasonally adjusted, %
Overall
unemployment rate
Watch a video series featuring this data
on FRBSF.org:
Economics in Person
Percent of U.S.
labor force that is
unemployed,
grouped by levels of
education. Values
are adjusted for
seasonal factors
that may spike
unemployment, like
changes in weather,
holiday events, and
whether school is in
session.
www.frbsf.org/education/teacher-resources/datapost FRBSF Education & Outreach

4. What Do You Think?
1. What was the unemployment rate for people without a high
school diploma in Dec. 2007? In Jun. 2009? In Nov. 2017?
2. What was the unemployment rate for college graduates in
Dec. 2007? In Jun. 2009? In Nov. 2017?
3. How would you describe the relationship between
unemployment and education at the beginning of the Great
Recession (Dec. 2007) versus the end of the Great Recession
(Jun. 2009)? What does it look like today (Nov. 2017)?
4. Why might the unemployment rate be higher for people
without college degrees?
Watch a video about the toll of the Great Recession on
U.S. Labor Markets at FRBSF.org
DataPost www.frbsf.org/education/teacher-resources/datapost FRBSF Education & Outreach