Demand for College Labor in the 21st Century

Alexander Cline and Baris Kaymak

Economic Commentary, 2025, vol. 2025, issue 04, 12

Abstract: Tracing the evolution of labor demand in the United States, this Economic Commentary reveals that the disproportionate rise in relative productivity of college-educated labor that shaped the latter half of the 20th century has plateaued since 2000. Our analysis suggests that technical change in the 21st century may no longer favor college graduates, in which case further growth in the employment share of college-educated workers would likely lower the premium that college-educated workers receive compared with non-college-educated workers.

Keywords: labor; economics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.26509/frbc-ec-202504

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