[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-585266-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-585266-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","rethinking-underemployment-are-college-graduates-using-their-degrees","Rethinking Underemployment - Are College Graduates Using Their Degrees?","","Rethinking Underemployment examines whether college graduates actually use their degrees and how underemployment estimates depend on the methods used. It discusses key factors for evaluating underemployment and explains how relying only on entry-level education assignments can inflate underemployment measures. The report also considers “realized matches” reflected in employer hiring and shows how adjusting for the bachelor’s degree earnings premium changes underemployment rates.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/rethinking-underemployment-are-college-graduates-using-their-degrees/585266/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/rethinking-underemployment-are-college-graduates-using-their-degrees/585266.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Aria Callaghan","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",7,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What does the report examine about underemployment and college degrees?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"The report investigates whether college graduates are using their degrees and how underemployment should be measured when analyzing this question.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"Why do different underemployment estimation methods matter?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"The report explains that the way underemployment is estimated affects the results, including whether the estimates may be misleading.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"How does accounting for the bachelor’s degree earnings premium change underemployment findings?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"After incorporating the bachelor’s degree earnings premium, the underemployment rate among recent graduates declines to 25 percent.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},585266,1792062547,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,101,106,110,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":97,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":102,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":103,"show_sort_weight":104,"slug":105},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":131},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":111,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145,"preview_page_count":4},962084926284,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_29158cc5080c5b710cf443261637dec0","Rethinking Underemployment  \nAre College Graduates Using Their Degrees?  \nJeff Strohl | Catherine Morris | Artem Gulish | Matthew Martinez  \nReprint Permissions  \nThis work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercialShareAlike 4.0 International License.  \nYou are free to share (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) or adapt (remix, transform, and build upon) this material under the following license terms:  \nAttribution—You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests that the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce endorses you or your use .  \nNonCommercial—You may not use the material for commercial purposes.  \nShareAlike—If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.  \nNo additional restrictions—You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.  \nThis summary is not a substitute for the full legal text of the license. To view the full legal text, visit [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) .  \nOur suggested citation for this material is:  \nStrohl, Jeff, Catherine Morris, Artem Gulish, and Matthew Martinez. Rethinking Underemployment: Are College Graduates Using Their Degrees? Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2026.  \n[cew.georgetown.edu/measuring-underemployment](cew.georgetown.edu/measuring-underemployment)  \nPlease email [cewgeorgetown@georgetown.edu](cewgeorgetown@georgetown.edu) with any questions or to share your adaptations of this material.  \nRETHINKING UNDEREMPLOYMENT  \n2  \nAcknowledgments  \nWe are grateful to the individuals and organizations whose generous support has made this report possible: Lumina Foundation (Jamie Merisotis, Courtney Brown, and Chris Mullin) and the Gates Foundation (Patrick Methvin and Jamey Rorison) . We are honored to be their partners in our shared mission of promoting postsecondary access, completion, and career success for all Americans.  \nWe would also like to extend our sincere gratitude to Anthony P. Carnevale, the founding director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, for his leadership and guidance in this work.  \nThe staff of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce was instrumental in the production of this report from conception to publication. In particular, we would like to thank  \n• Ban Cheah, Zachary Mabel, Emma Nyhof McLeod, and Nicole Smith for methodological advice and quantitative feedback;  \n• Madeleine Adelson for quantitative research support;  \n• Kathryn Peltier Campbell for editorial and qualitative feedback; and  \n• Katherine Hazelrigg, Fan Zhang, Johnna Guillerman, and Maryam Noor for communications efforts, including design development and public relations.  \nMany others contributed their thoughts and feedback throughout the production of this report. We especially are grateful to our talented designers and editorial advisors, whose efforts were vital to its successful completion.  \nThe views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of Lumina Foundation or the Gates Foundation, or any of their officers or employees. All errors and omissions are the responsibility of the authors.  \nRETHINKING UNDEREMPLOYMENT  \n3  \nContents  \nIntroduction 􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮 􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮 6 The method used to estimate underemployment matters 􀀮 􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮 7  \nPart 1. What Is Underemployment, and What Factors Should We Consider When  \nEvaluating It? 􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮􀀮","cbCaiq0TykvXSxNK","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiq0TykvXSxNK","pdf",1714787,36,"English","# Introduction\n## The method used to estimate underemployment matters\n# Part 1. What Is Underemployment, and What Factors Should We Consider When Evaluating It?\n# Part 2. Relying Solely on Entry-Level Education Assignments Can Result in Misleadingly High Estimates of Underemployment\n# Employer hiring reflects \"realized matches\" that can improve how we measure underemployment\n# Part 3. The Rate of Underemployment Declines After Accounting for the Bachelor’s Degree Earnings Premium\n# Conclusion\n# References\n# Appendix A. Data and Methodology\n## Data Source and Sample Construction\n## Underemployment Approaches and Methodologies","[{\"question\":\"What does the report examine about underemployment and college degrees?\",\"answer\":\"The report investigates whether college graduates are using their degrees and how underemployment should be measured when analyzing this question.\"},{\"question\":\"Why do different underemployment estimation methods matter?\",\"answer\":\"The report explains that the way underemployment is estimated affects the results, including whether the estimates may be misleading.\"},{\"question\":\"How does accounting for the bachelor’s degree earnings premium change underemployment findings?\",\"answer\":\"After incorporating the bachelor’s degree earnings premium, the underemployment rate among recent graduates declines to 25 percent.\"}]","Rethinking Underemployment - Are College Graduates Using Their Degrees? | PDF",1792054200,91]