One form of inflation flying under the radar is degree inflation. Many more jobs now require a four-year degree than they did in the recent past. The degree may be unconnected to the duties of the job but serves to filter applicant pools. Degree inflation comes with a cost to employers and workers. Degree inflation locks men and women with skills, knowledge, and experience out of opportunities and hinders their economic mobility.
Private-sector employers have begun to remove degree requirements from different middle-skilled jobs. A handful of states led by Republican and Democratic governors and legislatures have also rolled back degree requirements for public jobs. We will explore the rise of degree requirements for jobs that did not previously need them and efforts to repeal them.
Join us LIVE on Wednesday, June 21 at 1 pm Eastern:
Resources
- IWF Policy Focus: Fighting Degree Inflation
- IWF: Smart Reform: No Degree, No Problem In Virginia
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Military Careers
- SHRM: Skills-Based Hiring Requires Commitment to Change
- Harvard Business Review: How Important Is a College Degree Compared to Experience?
- Fortune Education: ‘A tipping point for higher ed’: Google launches new, low-cost online programs for high-demand jobs
- Cicero Institute: Expanding Public Sector Career Opportunities