Is higher ed a job killer?

Those who argue that higher education is a major league time suck just got more ammunition in a report from the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

“The most new jobs projected for 2022 are expected to be in occupations requiring a high school diploma or equivalent,” BLS reports. “These occupations are projected to add 4.6 million new jobs. About a quarter of these new jobs will be in healthcare and social assistance. Another major area of projected growth for people with a high school diploma or equivalent is construction, which is expected to add almost 1 million jobs as construction regains jobs lost during the 2007–2009 recession.”

“The second largest number of new jobs projected for 2022 is expected to be in occupations that do not require a high school diploma. About 4.2 million new jobs are projected for occupations in which a high school diploma is not required. Of these, personal care aides and home health aides are projected to add a combined 1.0 million new jobs.”

It should be noted that the Department of Labor, which BLS is under, has long been a cheerleader for the amassing of academic credentials. Yet and still, BLS reports that, “In 2012, 49.0 million jobs were in occupations that typically require at least some postsecondary education for entry—education beyond a high school diploma or equivalent—compared with 96.4 million that require a high school diploma or less.”