Chart of the Day - Lack of education can as much as triple the odds of unemployment

Chart of the Day

Today, the Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate held steady at 9.7% during the month of February. For some perspective on the current state of the labor market, today's chart illustrates the unemployment rate by educational attainment. As today's chart illustrates, a higher educational attainment has correlated with a lower unemployment rate. For example, the unemployment rate for those that have not completed high school (red line) has increased from 5.8% to 15.6% over the past 40 months -- nearly a 10 percentage point increase. Compare that to the unemployment rate for those that have obtained a bachelor's degree or greater (blue line). The unemployment rate for those with a minimum of a bachelor's degree is currently three percentage points above where it was 40 months ago. In any event, the upward trend in the unemployment rate (for all education levels) has slowed in recent months.

Notes:
- Where's the Dow headed? The answer may surprise you. Find out right now with the exclusive & Barron's recommended charts of Chart of the Day Plus.

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Quote of the Day
"The value of an education ... is not the learning of many facts but the training of the mind to think something that cannot be learned from textbooks." - Albert Einstein

Events of the Day
March 06, 2010 - Iditarod begins
March 07, 2010 - Academy Awards
March 14, 2010 - Daylight Saving Time begins (US)
March 17, 2010 - St. Patrick's Day

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