Underemployment rate of young college graduates, by race and ethnicity, 2000–2015*
| Date | White | Black |
|---|---|---|
| 2000-01-01 | 7.6% | 17.5% |
| 2000-02-01 | 7.5% | 17.8% |
| 2000-03-01 | 7.8% | 17.8% |
| 2000-04-01 | 7.8% | 17.0% |
| 2000-05-01 | 7.9% | 16.1% |
| 2000-06-01 | 7.8% | 16.6% |
| 2000-07-01 | 7.7% | 15.4% |
| 2000-08-01 | 7.4% | 14.6% |
| 2000-09-01 | 7.3% | 15.1% |
| 2000-10-01 | 7.2% | 15.3% |
| 2000-11-01 | 7.0% | 15.7% |
| 2000-12-01 | 6.9% | 15.4% |
| 2001-01-01 | 6.8% | 14.2% |
| 2001-02-01 | 6.8% | 12.2% |
| 2001-03-01 | 6.9% | 11.6% |
| 2001-04-01 | 7.0% | 11.6% |
| 2001-05-01 | 6.9% | 11.3% |
| 2001-06-01 | 7.1% | 12.0% |
| 2001-07-01 | 7.1% | 12.3% |
| 2001-08-01 | 7.6% | 13.3% |
| 2001-09-01 | 8.1% | 13.3% |
| 2001-10-01 | 8.3% | 14.0% |
| 2001-11-01 | 8.5% | 14.7% |
| 2001-12-01 | 8.6% | 15.9% |
| 2002-01-01 | 8.8% | 16.4% |
| 2002-02-01 | 9.0% | 17.6% |
| 2002-03-01 | 8.9% | 17.6% |
| 2002-04-01 | 8.9% | 18.3% |
| 2002-05-01 | 9.0% | 18.5% |
| 2002-06-01 | 8.8% | 18.2% |
| 2002-07-01 | 8.9% | 18.3% |
| 2002-08-01 | 8.6% | 17.5% |
| 2002-09-01 | 8.6% | 17.5% |
| 2002-10-01 | 8.4% | 17.3% |
| 2002-11-01 | 8.4% | 17.1% |
| 2002-12-01 | 8.7% | 15.7% |
| 2003-01-01 | 9.0% | 15.3% |
| 2003-02-01 | 8.9% | 14.9% |
| 2003-03-01 | 9.2% | 14.8% |
| 2003-04-01 | 9.1% | 14.3% |
| 2003-05-01 | 9.3% | 15.9% |
| 2003-06-01 | 9.6% | 15.2% |
| 2003-07-01 | 10.0% | 15.5% |
| 2003-08-01 | 10.3% | 15.5% |
| 2003-09-01 | 10.2% | 15.4% |
| 2003-10-01 | 10.4% | 15.1% |
| 2003-11-01 | 10.5% | 15.0% |
| 2003-12-01 | 10.4% | 15.1% |
| 2004-01-01 | 10.3% | 15.9% |
| 2004-02-01 | 10.5% | 16.9% |
| 2004-03-01 | 10.5% | 17.5% |
| 2004-04-01 | 10.7% | 17.4% |
| 2004-05-01 | 10.5% | 15.9% |
| 2004-06-01 | 10.6% | 15.4% |
| 2004-07-01 | 10.3% | 15.5% |
| 2004-08-01 | 10.1% | 14.6% |
| 2004-09-01 | 10.0% | 14.5% |
| 2004-10-01 | 9.8% | 15.9% |
| 2004-11-01 | 9.8% | 16.5% |
| 2004-12-01 | 9.8% | 16.7% |
| 2005-01-01 | 9.8% | 16.3% |
| 2005-02-01 | 9.8% | 15.5% |
| 2005-03-01 | 9.7% | 15.7% |
| 2005-04-01 | 9.7% | 15.8% |
| 2005-05-01 | 9.9% | 16.6% |
| 2005-06-01 | 9.6% | 16.5% |
| 2005-07-01 | 9.5% | 16.6% |
| 2005-08-01 | 9.6% | 17.5% |
| 2005-09-01 | 9.7% | 17.6% |
| 2005-10-01 | 9.6% | 16.5% |
| 2005-11-01 | 9.6% | 15.8% |
| 2005-12-01 | 9.5% | 15.5% |
| 2006-01-01 | 9.4% | 15.0% |
| 2006-02-01 | 9.4% | 15.2% |
| 2006-03-01 | 9.3% | 15.2% |
| 2006-04-01 | 9.0% | 14.5% |
| 2006-05-01 | 8.8% | 13.2% |
| 2006-06-01 | 8.9% | 13.8% |
| 2006-07-01 | 8.9% | 14.8% |
| 2006-08-01 | 8.6% | 14.6% |
| 2006-09-01 | 8.5% | 14.3% |
| 2006-10-01 | 8.7% | 13.7% |
| 2006-11-01 | 8.5% | 13.3% |
| 2006-12-01 | 8.7% | 13.2% |
| 2007-01-01 | 8.7% | 13.4% |
| 2007-02-01 | 8.4% | 13.2% |
| 2007-03-01 | 8.2% | 13.4% |
| 2007-04-01 | 8.2% | 14.6% |
| 2007-05-01 | 8.3% | 15.3% |
| 2007-06-01 | 8.4% | 15.2% |
| 2007-07-01 | 8.5% | 14.6% |
| 2007-08-01 | 8.8% | 13.6% |
| 2007-09-01 | 9.1% | 14.5% |
| 2007-10-01 | 9.0% | 15.1% |
| 2007-11-01 | 9.2% | 15.4% |
| 2007-12-01 | 9.0% | 16.2% |
| 2008-01-01 | 8.9% | 16.6% |
| 2008-02-01 | 9.0% | 17.0% |
| 2008-03-01 | 9.1% | 16.1% |
| 2008-04-01 | 9.2% | 15.5% |
| 2008-05-01 | 9.4% | 15.6% |
| 2008-06-01 | 9.8% | 15.6% |
| 2008-07-01 | 9.9% | 15.4% |
| 2008-08-01 | 9.9% | 16.5% |
| 2008-09-01 | 10.0% | 15.8% |
| 2008-10-01 | 10.2% | 14.9% |
| 2008-11-01 | 10.3% | 14.8% |
| 2008-12-01 | 10.6% | 14.7% |
| 2009-01-01 | 11.1% | 14.9% |
| 2009-02-01 | 11.5% | 16.0% |
| 2009-03-01 | 12.2% | 18.0% |
| 2009-04-01 | 12.5% | 19.5% |
| 2009-05-01 | 12.8% | 20.4% |
| 2009-06-01 | 13.3% | 20.7% |
| 2009-07-01 | 13.6% | 22.3% |
| 2009-08-01 | 14.4% | 24.1% |
| 2009-09-01 | 14.8% | 25.9% |
| 2009-10-01 | 15.1% | 26.1% |
| 2009-11-01 | 15.5% | 25.1% |
| 2009-12-01 | 15.8% | 25.9% |
| 2010-01-01 | 16.0% | 26.3% |
| 2010-02-01 | 16.2% | 25.8% |
| 2010-03-01 | 16.1% | 24.6% |
| 2010-04-01 | 16.4% | 25.3% |
| 2010-05-01 | 16.6% | 24.9% |
| 2010-06-01 | 16.6% | 26.6% |
| 2010-07-01 | 16.7% | 28.5% |
| 2010-08-01 | 16.2% | 28.9% |
| 2010-09-01 | 16.5% | 28.7% |
| 2010-10-01 | 16.6% | 29.2% |
| 2010-11-01 | 16.7% | 29.3% |
| 2010-12-01 | 16.7% | 30.0% |
| 2011-01-01 | 17.0% | 30.8% |
| 2011-02-01 | 17.2% | 30.7% |
| 2011-03-01 | 17.5% | 31.0% |
| 2011-04-01 | 17.3% | 28.8% |
| 2011-05-01 | 17.1% | 28.2% |
| 2011-06-01 | 17.1% | 28.4% |
| 2011-07-01 | 17.6% | 26.0% |
| 2011-08-01 | 18.1% | 24.6% |
| 2011-09-01 | 18.0% | 23.7% |
| 2011-10-01 | 17.7% | 23.5% |
| 2011-11-01 | 17.6% | 22.5% |
| 2011-12-01 | 17.3% | 21.3% |
| 2012-01-01 | 17.2% | 20.9% |
| 2012-02-01 | 17.0% | 21.1% |
| 2012-03-01 | 16.7% | 21.4% |
| 2012-04-01 | 16.5% | 22.4% |
| 2012-05-01 | 16.5% | 22.2% |
| 2012-06-01 | 16.4% | 20.3% |
| 2012-07-01 | 16.3% | 19.8% |
| 2012-08-01 | 15.9% | 20.6% |
| 2012-09-01 | 15.8% | 21.2% |
| 2012-10-01 | 15.7% | 20.6% |
| 2012-11-01 | 15.3% | 20.8% |
| 2012-12-01 | 15.5% | 20.8% |
| 2013-01-01 | 15.6% | 21.2% |
| 2013-02-01 | 15.6% | 22.9% |
| 2013-03-01 | 15.6% | 23.5% |
| 2013-04-01 | 15.7% | 23.0% |
| 2013-05-01 | 15.8% | 24.0% |
| 2013-06-01 | 15.7% | 25.2% |
| 2013-07-01 | 15.5% | 25.0% |
| 2013-08-01 | 15.5% | 26.4% |
| 2013-09-01 | 15.7% | 27.5% |
| 2013-10-01 | 16.0% | 28.2% |
| 2013-11-01 | 16.2% | 28.4% |
| 2013-12-01 | 16.1% | 29.0% |
| 2014-01-01 | 16.1% | 29.5% |
| 2014-02-01 | 16.0% | 28.2% |
| 2014-03-01 | 15.8% | 28.1% |
| 2014-04-01 | 15.4% | 27.8% |
| 2014-05-01 | 15.0% | 26.8% |
| 2014-06-01 | 14.9% | 26.2% |
| 2014-07-01 | 14.6% | 27.0% |
| 2014-08-01 | 14.3% | 25.3% |
| 2014-09-01 | 13.9% | 24.0% |
| 2014-10-01 | 13.6% | 23.4% |
| 2014-11-01 | 13.4% | 22.7% |
| 2014-12-01 | 13.4% | 22.2% |
| 2015-01-01 | 13.1% | 21.7% |
| 2015-02-01 | 13.0% | 23.7% |
| 2015-03-01 | 12.9% | 23.0% |
* Data reflect 12-month moving averages; data for 2015 represent 12-month average from April 2014 to March 2015.
Note: Data are for college graduates age 21–24 who are not enrolled in further schooling. Shaded areas denote recessions. Race/ethnicity categories are mutually exclusive (i.e., white non-Hispanic and black non-Hispanic). The Hispanic category is not included due to insufficient sample sizes over part of the series.
Source: EPI analysis of basic monthly Current Population Survey microdata
