Employment rates, by educational attainment

The employment rate increases with higher education

• The greater one’s education, the better the chances of finding work. For example, in 2003, among people aged 25 to 64 years, employment rates for high school graduates were 75.3%, compared with 81.6% for university graduates. And among university graduates, employment rates for people with advanced degrees, such as a master’s or PhD, were slightly higher in 2003 than those for recipients of bachelor’s degrees only. However, having some postsecondary education without having completed a program leading to a degree, certificate or diploma provides little advantage over high school graduation. This is in part because employers generally reward credentials earned through education, as opposed to partial completion of a particular program.
• Despite the employment advantages associated with higher education, the employment rate for university graduates aged 25 to 64 years has dropped from 86.7% in 1990 to 81.6% in 2003 and is approaching the rate of those with postsecondary certificates or diplomas (81.1%). Employment increased for both postsecondary and university graduates during this period. However, the increase in the university graduate population outweighed their employment gains, explaining the drop in their employment rate.
• Similarly, higher levels of education are equated with lower unemployment rates. In 2003, the unemployment rate was 10.9% among people aged 25 to 64 years reporting less than a high school diploma, compared with 5.4% for those with a university degree. The exception is those with only some postsecondary education, who had a slightly higher rate of unemployment than high school graduates (7.1% versus 6.3%).

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