Deciding which field to study is one of the most consequential decisions college students make, but most research on the topic focuses on students attending four-year colleges. To understand how students attending community colleges make field of study decisions, I link administrative educational records of recent high school graduates with local…

In the United States, approximately 65 percent of all jobs in 2020 will require some level of postsecondary education, and the demand will reach 70 percent in Michigan. This report seeks to inform public discourse on higher education by providing key performance indicators relevant to the goal of improving educational attainment for a healthy…

In the United States, approximately 65 percent of all jobs in 2020 will require some level of postsecondary education, and the demand will reach 68 percent in Iowa. This report seeks to inform public discourse on higher education by providing key performance indicators relevant to the goal of improving educational attainment for a healthy economy…

In the United States, approximately 65 percent of all jobs in 2020 will require some level of postsecondary education, and the demand will reach 70 percent in Michigan. This report seeks to inform public discourse on higher education by providing key performance indicators relevant to the goal of improving educational attainment in Michigan.…

As President Obama said in advance remarks about the American Graduation Initiative: "[T]he hard truth is that some of the jobs that have been lost in the auto industry and elsewhere won't be coming back. And that only underscores the importance of generating new businesses and industries to replace the ones we've lost, and of preparing our…

Census data and mailed questionnaires were used to test three hypotheses about unemployment impacts: labor-market infusion, labor-market overload; and a balance of positive and negative impacts differing with occupational status. Results showed that blue-collar persons--both newcomers and long-term residents--experienced much higher unemployment…

The Future of Work project grew out of an essay of the same title by Frithjof Bergmann, a philosophy professor at the University of Michigan. In spring 1983, Professor Bergmann and a colleague, Richard Gull, founded the Center for New Work of Flint in Michigan, where the problems besieging the U.S. auto industry were focusing attention on the…

Two-year college placement directors and career planning counselors in Michigan were requested to rate the occupational demand situation for 1986 graduates based on information obtained from graduate follow-up studies, employer requests, number of job listings, and discussions with recruiting employers. Responses were received from 25 of the 34…

Almost 900 employers responded to this year's "Recruiting Trends" survey, the largest response in the history of this project. Hiring of college graduates is expected to increase by single digits minimally, or double digits if certain geographic sectors are excluded (between 6% and 14%). This growth follows a robust 20% increase in…

Ratings of the projected demand for Michigan's college graduates of 1988 are presented by degree level and field of study. The ratings by placement directors and career planning counselors at Michigan two- and four-year colleges were based on evaluation of current labor market conditions. Responses were received from 75 individuals representing 45…