Where educated people are most likely to find a job
January 30, 2012
With high unemployment rates continuing throughout the country, many people who are looking for work may be wondering where the best place to find a job is.
Mothers who begin or return to college often do so to increase their earning potential and help make their families more financially independent upon their graduation. After all, getting a bachelor's degree can positively impact just how much money one brings home each week.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2010 individuals with a bachelor's degree made an average of $1,038 per week, compared to $767 per week for those with an associate degree, $712 per week for those with some college (but no degree) and $626 per week for those with a high school diploma.
The good news is that moms who want to pursue a college degree can get help paying for it through various grants for parents and scholarships for mothers.
How quickly they find a job after graduating depends on a number of factors including which industry they want to work in, their previous experience and where they live.
A recent study conducted by the Brookings Institute identified the best cities for educated individuals.
According to AdvisorOne.com, the report titled "Education, Demand, and Unemployment in Metropolitan America" found that some cities are suffering from "education gaps" - or a shortage of educated workers compared to employer demand.
The study reveals that unemployment is closely tied to the size of the education gap in a given city.
"On average from 2005 to 2011, metro areas with education gaps above 1 experienced unemployment rates 1.4 percentage points higher than metro areas with education gaps below 1," the study stated.
That being said, cities with smaller education gaps are likely to be better for educated individuals to find work.
The Brookings study found that Madison, Wisconsin, is the U.S. city with the smallest education gap. Other metropolitan areas that may offer educated people a lot of opportunities include Washington, D.C.; Provo, Utah; Bridgeport, Connecticut; Raleigh, North Carolina; San Francisco, California; Seattle, Washington; Boston, Massachusetts; Minneapolis, Minnesota and San Jose, California.
On the other side of the coin are the places that may not present a lot of opportunities for educated individuals, or areas with larger education gaps.
These cities include Chattanooga, Tennessee; Lakeland, Florida; Youngstown, Ohio; Riverside, Stockton, Fresno, Modesto and Bakersfield, California as well as El Paso and McAllen, Texas.
