Analysis of the Return on Investment and Economic Impact of Education

FIGURE A9.8: Unemployment by education level

education level, derived from data supplied by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 55 As shown, the demographic characteristics of TANF recipients are weighted heavily towards the less than high school and high school categories, with a much smaller representation of individuals with greater than a high school education. Unemployment rates also decline with increasing levels of education, as illustrated in Figure A9.8. These data are supplied by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 56 As shown, unemployment rates range from 12.4% for those with less than a high school diploma to 4.0% for those at the bachelor’s degree level or higher.

14.0%

12.0%

10.0%

8.0%

6.0%

4.0%

2.0%

0.0%

Less than high school

High school

Some college

Associate degree

Bachelor’s degree or above

55 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Family Assistance, “Table 10:26 - Temporary Assistance for Needy Families - Active Cases: Percent Distribution of TANF Adult Recipients by Educational Level, FY 2009” in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program Ninth Report to Congress, 2012. 56 Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Table 7. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 25 years and over by educational attainment, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity.” Current Population Survey, Labor Force Statistics. Accessed August 2013. http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat07.pdf.

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