Degrees with the Highest Unemployment Rates

INTRODUCTION

Are you thinking of earning a college degree but want to make sure that what you are studying would not ruin your chances of landing a job immediately after college? Congratulations, you are not alone.

In an uncertain job market, it is important to feel assured and confident that you are working towards earning a degree that is not a complete waste of time.

To help you, we have put together a list of degrees with the highest unemployment rates that are better to be avoided, as listed by Jennifer Berry of Yahoo Education.

ECONOMICS Unemployment Rate: 10.4 Percent

If you are mesmerized by money and aspire to explore the impact of money on our modern life, a degree in economics might sound like a great option at first sight. But think twice before you act or get started.

This is because with so many people pursuing this college major, you could be left deserted after graduation.As per Carol Barash, founder and CEO of Story To College, though economics is one of the most sought-after college major, the degrees opens door for very few entry-level jobs.

And the bad news doesn’t end there. According to Michael Staton, partner at Learn Capital, this is a degree that is high on theory and low on practical awareness or understanding, which makes it very hard for recent grads to land a job immediately after college. 

 

POLITICAL SCIENCEUnemployment Rate: 11.1 Percent

• If you are a political junky, who is addicted to political blogs and news outlets, a degree in political science might seem very attractive. But before you jump into a degree in this field, it might be beneficial for you to carry out some serious brain-storming.

• This is because the unemployment rates associated with this college major suggests that a degree in this field may not put you in the best possible position to land a job immediately after graduation.

• As per Barash, a degree in this field can be very beneficial if you aspire to run for public office, but it is not a great option to land an entry-level job. According to Staton, since political science degrees are centered more around academics and less on applicable skills, the job potentials are very narrow.

 

 

ARCHITECTURE

• Unemployment Rate: 12.8 Percent

 • Do you aspire to create landmark buildings or custom homes to spread

joy among people? You can opt to be an architect. But think cautiously before you register for this degree. This is because in the current economic downtime, architecture-related degrees entail one of the highest unemployment rates among all the college majors.As per Barash, one of the main problems associated with this degree is that it only teaches how to plan and design buildings. It doesn’t teach you how to build and in the current times there is demand for only people who can do both, i.e., design and build structures. And she added that, people should first train in the construction side and later gain the necessary designing skills, and not the reverse, which makes it much harder to master.

INFORMATION SYSTEMUnemployment Rate: 14.7 Percent

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Given the technology driven world we reside in, it is natural that most people think any computer-related degree could pave way for innumerable number of employment opportunities across a variety of sectors. But, this is not true. Contrary to the popular perception, not all computer-related degrees are created equal with regards to employment opportunities and if you opt for a major in information systems, you will in all probability be restraining your future career options.As per Staton, information systems is conceptual work which is centered on information management and computer systems in the corporate environment. And he added that as more information is being stored off-site, the demand for people armed with a degree in information systems is going to reach new lows.Barash points to the rapid advances in technology as one of the reason behind the rapid decline in number of employment opportunities for grads with an information systems degree.