College graduates who took a detour around the weak job market by going back for advanced degrees are beginning to emerge from those programs-and finding job prospects aren't much better than they were a couple of years ago.
The jobless rate for 20- to 34-year-olds with master's degrees, though well below the overall 9.5% U.S. average, was 4.2% in June, the Labor Department said Friday, up from 3.9% last year and 2.9% in June 2007, before the recession started.
The economy has started creating jobs-albeit at a slow rate-in recent months. But those with new master's degrees often aren't at the front of the line to get them, say experts. One reason: They frequently compete for jobs that require those advanced degrees with older workers who have the advantage of more work experience.
Caitlin Johnson, 23 years old, may soon find herself among them. A 2009 graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a B.S. in computer-science and engineering, she said she was unable to land any of the 10 positions she applied for.
So she opted to stay at MIT for her master's in engineering. Having just finished her first year of the two-year program, Ms. Johnson said she might look for a job at the end of the summer to start after she completes the degree next year. But finding graduate school more appealing and facing a job market that remains weak, she said she would most likely go on to earn her Ph.D.
Should Ms. Johnson decide to opt for the job hunt instead of more schooling, she likely will face stiff competition. The number of 20- to 34-year-olds with master's degrees in the labor force in June was 12% higher than it was two years earlier. And first-time grad-school enrollment rose 4.5% in 2008 and 6% in 2009 across the country.
To be sure, some advanced degrees remain in hot demand, such as those in business and finance. 'It depends on the actual degree and the field you're going into,' said Liz Pulliam Weston, an author and personal-finance columnist. 'You shouldn't just assume if you got a degree, you're one step ahead of anybody else.'
Still, more education continues to mean more earning power down the road. In 2008, 25- to 29-year-olds with master's degrees earned on average $7,954 more than those with bachelor's degrees annually, according to the Census Bureau. But that difference could narrow as more qualified candidates take lower-paying positions in a tight job market.
Aneri Patel, 25, graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2007 with an undergraduate degree in international relations. She landed a good job with a consulting firm, but decided to go to the London School of Economics in 2008 to learn more about climate change and be a stronger candidate in the job market. She never imagined how bad the job market would get while she was overseas in graduate school.
Since returning from London in January-her advanced degree in hand-she said she had applied for dozens of positions, but had yet to secure work.
'With international work experience, coupled with my internships at fairly respectable places and my master's, I thought I'd get immediate interviews,' she said. 'It was tough.'
Competition for jobs is fierce, and employers can afford to be picky. Siemens Industry Inc., a unit of Germany's Siemens AG, said the good news for employers like them was that they were seeing an increased number of qualified candidates, and more with advanced degrees.
'We have frankly easy pickings; the quality is there for the taking,' Chief Executive Daryl Dulaney said.
Graduates, however, are facing a tougher decision-hold out for a dream job, or take what's available. Ms. Patel, for instance, said she really wanted a job that allowed her to pursue her passion for environmental issues.
'The question is whether you want to pursue your dreams or to have a job for the sake of it,' Ms. Patel said. 'I think that's kind of an unfortunate question to answer right now, when you're young and you want to make a real difference.'
看到就业市场不景气，美国一些大学生选择回炉深造，如今他们纷纷完成了学业，结果发现，就业前景比两三年前好不到哪里去。
美国劳工部(Labor Department)7月2日的数据显示，20到34岁的硕士学位持有人中，6月份的失业率为4.2%，虽然远低于全国平均水平9.5%，但高于去年的3.9%和2007年6月份（衰退开始之前）的2.9%。
近几个月，美国经济已经开始缓慢地创造就业岗位，但专家说，新拿到硕士学位的人要竞争这些岗位常常并不具备优势。比如，他们角逐要求有高学历的岗位时，一起竞争的常常还有年纪较大、拥有更多工作经验的人。
23岁的约翰逊(Caitlin Johnson)可能很快就会发现自己属于其中的一员。约翰逊是麻省理工学院(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)计算机科学与工程专业的2009届本科毕业生。她说自己申请了10份工作，但一个也没能到手。
所以她留在了麻省理工，攻读工程专业硕士学位，如今两年的课程刚刚读完第一年。约翰逊说，夏季结束时，她可能会去找一份来年修完学业后入职的工作。但她说，她觉得研究生院更有吸引力，而且就业市场还是不景气，所以她最有可能的还是接着读博。
约翰逊如果决定找工作而不是继续读书，有可能会面临惨烈的竞争。在6月份的劳动人口中，20到34岁的硕士学位持有人比两年前多了12%。另外全美研究生院的初次入学人数，2008年增加4.5%，2009年增加了6%。
需要说明的是，一些高等学历的需求仍然很旺盛，比如商业或金融类学历。图书作者、个人理财专栏作家维斯顿(Liz Pulliam Weston)说，这就要看实际水平和你要进入的领域；你不能简单地认为拿到了学历，就比其他任何人领先了一步。
但是，学历越高，还是意味着以后挣钱的能力越强。美国人口普查局(Census Bureau)数据显示，2008年，25到29岁硕士学位持有者的年收入平均比本科学历人士高出7,954美元。但由于就业环境不好，越来越多的优秀求职者走上收入更低的岗位，这个差距也有可能缩小。
25岁的帕特尔(Aneri Patel)于2007年从北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校(University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)毕业，取得国际关系专业本科学位。她在一家咨询公司找到了一份好工作，但还是决定于2008年前往伦敦经济学院(London School of Economics)进一步学习气候变化，并提高自己在就业市场的竞争力。她从未想到自己出国读研的时候，美国的就业市场会变得多么糟糕。
她说，自从今年1月份从伦敦拿着高学历回国以来，她申请了好几十份工作，但还是没有搞定。
她说，我以为，有了国际工作经验，加上我在几个相当受人敬重的地方有过实习，另外还有硕士学位，我会马上得到面试机会；但实际上工作很难找。
竞争是严酷的，雇主也可以吹毛求疵了。德国西门子集团(Siemens AG)旗下西门子工业公司(Siemens Industry Inc.)说，对它们这样的雇主来说，好消息就在于合格求职者越来越多，拥有高学历的人也越来越多。
该公司首席执行长杜兰尼(Daryl Dulaney)说，坦白地讲，我们很容易选到人，质量是不愁没有的。
但毕业生们面临着更加艰难的决定。是坚持找一份理想的工作呢，还是能找到哪里就去哪里？帕特尔说，她真的想要一份可以在环境问题上追求理想的工作。
帕特尔说，问题在于你是想追逐梦想，还是为了工作而工作；我觉得这种问题不太适合马上作答，因为你还年轻，希望有所作为。 |