Women college graduates across the nation, who are underemployed at their first job, are most likely to find themselves underemployed up to ten years later.
According to a research conducted by Burning Glass Technologies and Strada Institute for the Future of Work, men are also underemployed but less compared to women. The report, The Permanent Detour: Underemployment’s Long-Term Effects on the Careers of College Grads, has found that the first job is a decisive factor when it comes to setting a definite career path.
The report found that one out of every two female college graduates is initially underemployed nationally, which is 47 percent of the total women workforce. It also finds glaring gender gap rampant across all majors except engineering.
Out of every 10 college graduates, four were underemployed in their first job, while two-thirds of workers were still underemployed five years after completing their graduation.
“The first job out of college is a high-stakes decision with major long-term implications, particularly for women,” Michelle Weise, chief innovation officer for Strada Institute for the Future of Work said.
“Men and women escape underemployment at similar rates, but this research points to the need to understand better why significantly higher percentages of women find themselves underemployed right out of the gate. Overall, this report highlights just how important it is to position graduates well in that first job, so they can make a successful transition to the world of work,” she added.
The report was compiled after analysis of four million resumes on Burning Glass Technologies’ and federal data on graduation, majors, and earnings.