You’re a college student; this one will likely hit close to home. How do you feel about your future on the other side of graduation? Matthew C. Klein, a research associate with the Council on Foreign Relations, describes the harsh realities facing some recent graduates and makes possibly unsettling comparisons with similar populations in other countries. This essay was published as an op-ed piece in the New York Times on March 20, 2011.
Read it here: Klein, "Educated, Unemployed, and Frustrated"
- Klein compares educated youth in the U.S. with the young Egyptians who fueled the recent uprising in that country. His conclusions, however, are somewhat open to interpretation. Is he actually advocating a similar political movement here, or does he have another purpose—another argument to make? What do you think? Explain your interpretation.
- Klein combines statistical and anecdotal evidence to support his argument. Think about your own network of friends, relatives, and acquaintances. How do their experiences compare with those of Klein’s high school friend who graduated in 2009? Is Klein exaggerating, or is his friend’s experience fairly typical?
- Do the statistics that Klein cites in paragraphs 2 and 4 really support his argument about the similarities between youth in the U.S. and in Egypt, Italy, Portugal, and Spain? Why or why not?
- Klein talks about unemployment, frustration, and loss of faith. How do you feel about your future? Are you confident that the job you are preparing for with your education will be there after graduation? How likely are you to become politically active in order to effect change? Write an essay in which you reflect on these questions, and incorporate anecdotal and/or statistical data to explain and support your conclusions.
Great article! I leraned a lot while reading it!
Posted by: essay format | 05/30/2011 at 06:11 AM
This is very true indeed. High percentage of newly graduates are not working because they can't seem to land into a stable job.
Posted by: continuing education course | 08/11/2011 at 11:01 AM
Being realistic, how many students are been pumped through the system because it's all about getting the dollars?
In Australia thousands of students graduate each year but if the economy is not growing or only in the mining sector as it is here, where do you expect to find a job?
So, finding a job as a lifeguard or whatever it takes is being realistic about the demand for jobs with academic qualifications.
Pop Quiz: How many people do you know that have studied at uni and have gained work specifically in that field? Other than friends in software development, accounting, or teaching, for me - none.
Posted by: Oz student | 09/24/2011 at 10:24 PM
I think Kein is not advocating political movement, like uprising in the Middle East And North Africa. Actually, he has another argument to make. That style of revolution break out in a rich democracy is unthinkable. The government should recognize the importance of giving opportunities to youth. Because of the cost of youth unemployment is not only financial. Having a job is gaining faith on some extent. Uprising doesn’t have virtual effect. All we need to do is changing the policy for government.
From my own network of friends, relatives, and acquaintances, Klein’s friend’s experience is fairly typical. His high school friend, who studied at a top-tier college, could find paid work only as a lifeguard. I have a friend who is studying at The Peking University, which is a famous university in China. Many students are struggling to go for it. But after four years studying, he couldn’t find an approving job, and only paid a little. I feel unfair for an excellent graduate from a famed university. Finally, my friend came back to our hometown to work as great majority. It seems to be a tragedy, but it exists everywhere, indeed. I don’t really know the situation throughout the world. But I can make sure it’s a universal case in China.
Generally speaking, the statistics that Klein cites in paragraphs 2 and 4 don’t really support his argument about the similarities between youth in the U.S, and in Egypt, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. The reason is that it’s true that using figures to state and compare something is convincing. But there is just a comparison, not reflection with support. I mean, it doesn’t tell us the deep analysis. If we have to say the similarities, I recommend give more reasons.
I am an optimistic person. At present, I have the confidence of the job I am preparing for with my education. For me, I’m an international student. My parents paid me a lot to study aboard, learning advanced knowledge and achieving best quality. Although, China is a developed country, it has many opportunities for overseas students. I have the superiority than those native graduates. However, I have to admit is that there are lots of unemployment of undergraduates. The official unemployment rate is 25 percent. Although there are totally different method of education between China and the U.S., I believe the system of America can provide me a promising future. On the other hand, I would likely to do my best becoming politically active in order to effect change. I hope the whole society is more harmonious, and the world is more evolutionary. For example, if the government publish a new policy which is to the benefit of unemployment, I will response actively and advertise it.
Posted by: Yifei Bai | 09/11/2012 at 10:57 PM
I think Klein's point is that the government needs to play a larger role in the importance of higher education. Higher education is good for all Americans as it stimulates the economy, presents opportunities to young adults, and instills a faith that anything can be achieved if you work hard enough.
Unemployment is a major problem for recent graduates but I feel that it can also be lessened or even avoided if the student takes advantage of opportunities during their college years. Internships and study broad trips all open doors for student to make connections that could lead to future employment.
Klein's unemployment statistics from the countries of Italy, Egypt, Portugal, and Spain offer an insight to the problem at large. It is not just a problem in the US. However, with more evidence and background it would be a more reliable comparison.
I feel that my four years of college education will benefit me greatly as my future nears. I have confidence that I will develop intellectual and leadership skills that will allow me to be success in the business world. At this time, I do not have interest in getting involved politically but I will always express my right to vote as an American.
Posted by: Calvin Song | 09/12/2012 at 01:58 AM
I do not believe that Klein is trying to advocate any sort of political movement but is simply putting the facts out there. At first he presents us with the false reality we live in: education and hard work will undoubtedly land us the job we want. As a college freshman I find this somewhat unbelievable. Who wouldn’t want to hire a hard-working college graduate? What I believe Klein is trying to argue is that we cannot blame a single figurehead such as the Egyptians did. As a nation we must come up with an alternative solution to a problem that will affect a majority of college graduates.
I come from a family who believes that ‘knowing your stuff’ and hard work will get you to where you want to be in life, and I have come to believe just that. Klein was not exaggerating. As a college student, my father struggled his first year until he found what he loved to do. By his fourth year he was graduating at the top of his class and would go on to be in the top 10% of his business graduate program. I found that his story relates closely to Klein’s, as my father struggled for a brief period after graduating to find a job in his field of study. This goes to show that anyone, whether you are good at what you do or not, can be effected by the unemployment rate.
The statistics in paragraph two and four cite similar unemployment information that helps to support Klein’s concluding paragraphs on the tolls of unemployment and ultimately bolsters his argument. I believe that relating our own economic/unemployment issues with other similar governments goes to show that we are not the only ones with this problem and that we are all in this together. This relates back to what I thought was Klein’s main argument: we cannot blame a single figurehead.
I’m not too sure how I feel about my future yet. As a freshman going into business with a small idea of what I want to do, the future is still blurry. So far, the classes I have scheduled are general education with my single, general business class. Over the past couple months I have been trying to become more politically active, seeing as I will be able to vote in the upcoming election. Regardless, I care about my future and will want my voice to be heard whether it helps me or not.
Posted by: Artie Meyers | 09/12/2012 at 07:31 PM
After reading Klein's article, I believe he is trying to spread the truth about student graduates who are unable to find jobs around the world. It was very surprising that the U.S. students are not the only ones who are frustrated with unemployment after graduating. Klein mentions interesting statistics of European students who are also unemployed after graduating. He also gave a personal story of a friend that had to undergo minimum wage jobs to support himself. The jobs he took did have any relation towards his degree as well. I agree with Klein when he mentions how our degree should land us a job. A job is the reward students have earned through the hard work they have put in on term papers, research papers, and finals. It is obvious that young graduates are starting to lose faith in their future. Not having a well paid job after graduating can lead to deadly financial troubles. Not the mention the loans that students have taken out in order to pay for their tuition. While students are having trouble looking for a career, they also have to worry about their students loans. Most students believe that they will find a job right after graduating and assume their students loans would soon be taken care of. I also agree with Klein when he points out that President Barack Obama has a huge distance from being blamed for the weakness of the recovery. It is understandable that there will be some time for our economy to recover in order for student graduates to think positive of their future. At the end of the article, Klein begins to talk about the uprising of the Middle East and North Africa. He is very vague on the topic so I was unable to grasp a clear opinion on the subject. From the information he has stated on the topic, I believe he is clearing up on how third world countries are beginning to have a well developed education system that will allow their graduates to find a job immediately after graduating. I also agree with Klein when he talks about the other countries who are protesting against their government, due to the poor economic situation they are in. Klein relates our country to others and hopes that it will not take tens of thousands of people to participate in a nationwide protest in order to fix our economic situation. I also agree with the other post above when they mention that Klein's intentions are to broaden the truth about our higher education. I do not believe that Klein is trying to produce a political movement with his article. He is simply mentioning the importance of our higher education and how it is becoming extremely fragile.
Posted by: Salmon Mumtaz | 11/14/2012 at 04:01 PM
When Matthew mentions the Egyptian revolution and its similarities to the United States’ current unemployed youth, it does look like he’s hinting at an American youth revolution at first glance. I do not believe that is the point of his opening paragraph, though. I consider his introductory words as more of an eye-opener to our youth with a solid message: don’t just assume an education and hard work are going to get you everything you want right away…nothing is guaranteed.
I personally find Matthew’s story about his friend disturbing. Being a nontraditional student, I obviously returned to college in hopes of bettering my career and future. Hearing about students graduating from top tier colleges and only attaining lifeguard jobs is pretty depressing. I think his story is fairly accurate though, because I also have several friends with degrees that they’re not even using. The promise of “hard work and education will pay off” just isn’t realistic in this job market anymore.
I don’t believe the statistical evidence Klein offers about the similarities between youth in the U.S. and in Egypt, Italy, Portugal, and Spain support his argument because there just isn’t enough background information about the revolution to formulate an objective opinion. The unemployment rate was not the only factor in the revolution, I’m sure, but Matthew offers this information as if it is a direct correlation and precursor to an American revolution as well.
I personally feel relatively secure about my future. Being a nontraditional student, I currently have a full time job that I will hopefully be advancing in following the completion of my college degree. I do believe it is possible for young graduates to get discouraged about the job market and their decision to spend thousands of dollars on college when they’re sitting at home unemployed or working at a fast food chain. I do not plan on getting anymore involved in politics than I currently am now; I express my right to vote and that’s as much as I’m willing to get politically involved.
Posted by: Blake Dilks | 01/20/2013 at 01:35 PM
Like many of the other responses, I don’t think he is trying to cause an uprising in the United States, I believe that he is trying to bring attention to an important issue. Klein simply states that he is fearful that “the young will bear the brunt of the pain.” He fears the youth will be hit with not only an increase in taxes but also a decrease in the educational budget. He also states the pain won’t only be financial however emotional as well through all the work, time, and sacrifice that the youth puts in or makes to obtain their education. In Egypt there was only one leader of the regime for many years, which made it easy to blame the one behind the issue but in the United States there are many causes behind the problem not just the current president. He is just stating that the young shouldn’t be affected for issues that were around before them and is concerned what the future will hold if these trends continue.
I work in electronics retail, just as a regular sales employee and I make a decent amount for being so young. However, I work with many others that are in the same role as I am but are much older. A few of them have degrees but not a job in the field they went to school for. A fellow co-worker once told me that even after he got his degree, every time he has gone in for an interview the interviewer checks to see if he has a degree but doesn’t care about the grades or the school that person went to. I have also been told from an other friend that their HR team has even told them that his experience in role is more valued then a graduate degree, which is why he has not gone back because he fears the return on his investment will be worth it. He also is currently in a manager role that with company that he worked for during college, where many if his peers and fellow managers have no college degree. He noticed his promotions started coming not due to his degree but performance and time in his role, in many of his interviews he educational background is not discussed. With these personal experiences I feel that the experience Klein’s friend had is becoming more and more common.
I believe that the statistics used by Klein in paragraphs 2 and 4 support and contradict the similarities because it shows both that not only here nor there is the unemployment rate for college graduates surprisingly high but that college graduates in the United States have a lower unemployment rate. He states that in the other countries the unemployment rate is around the 25% for the youth, which is similar. However, in the USA those that have a college degree only have an unemployment rate of 11%, which is 10% lower than those without. This makes it seem as though a college degree is still valued when looking for a job. This is a worldwide issue not just in the United States however; the reasons for the unemployment rate being so low are on a case-by-case basis. Although these statistics somewhat support the point Klein is making they also prove that education in the US is important because it does lower the unemployment rate.
I am fairly confident about my future. I am unsure if the degree I am going to school for will provide a job for me in the future but it will be a gateway for the whatever I choose to do at that time I believe there is too much pressure in todays society to know exactly what you want to do with your life as soon as you graduate from high school but in reality many young people have no clue what the future holds. I chose a basic degree that can stem into many options; in some cases just having a degree in general will lead to a job. I’m with Blake, from the responses, when it comes to being a nontraditional student, I too work full time and I am currently trying to complete my two-year associates degree. I also find it intriguing that so many employers will pay for you to go to school, making seem as the value it, but that schooling may not get you anywhere in the end as with my friends. As I grow older I believe that I will become more politically involved in order to bring about the change because if everyone sits back and no one chooses to step up not much change will come about. We also will have nothing to complain about because we did nothing to change it.
Posted by: Lisa Mowery | 01/28/2013 at 03:30 PM
1. I think that when Klein compared us to the Egyptians he is merely stating that it could in fact happen here. I am a college student now and I know that if college doesn’t pay off and get me a good job with good pay I am going to be in debt three to four times as long and not have a job that uses my degree. I agree with him, it’s frustrating to sit and wait and go to school and hope that everything in the end will work out. Who knows maybe it could happen here. You can’t say it won’t because you never know what the future holds.
2. Knowing a fair amount of people due to the size and spacing of my family I know about five people who are working to just work and pay off their student debt, and they aren’t in a field that uses their degrees either. I think personally this is a letdown. We are told from birth go to college for whatever you want. We do. Then we are stuck doing something we hate to pay off what we went to school to do the rest of our lives. Then when the time comes and we can use our degrees we are years behind the new college graduates. How are we to compete?
3. Yes and no. Yes because our numbers are close to the unemployed under the age of twenty-five and no because our numbers are lower for college graduates because we are resilient and find other jobs while we wait. Our situation is similar and different. Yes, we have a kind of high unemployment rate but it is slowly going down, or so we are told. However, it is not the same as the other countries because there are a lot of extra jobs in the United States, it whether or not we man (or woman) up and do the dirty work that needs to be done to keep us going.
4. How do I feel about my future? I feel that my future is safe and secure. For event and hospitality students like myself, we find and ever growing industry. People will always travel, have weddings, funerals, parties. It’s what they do and so I provide a service. I am very confident that the job I am preparing myself for will still be there. The hospitality industry will not fail for a long time and will still be standing when I retire, there are so many things that you could do with that particular industry it would be hard for anything to make it fall. I honestly hate politics but if I had to start rallies and protests, you bet I will.
Posted by: Emma Peterson | 02/05/2013 at 01:42 AM
I do not believe that Klein is advocating any political movement. However, it is evident that Klein is unsatisfied with the political development in various countries including the U.S. In addition, Klein is pointing out that the government needs to balance their budgets and provide financial support for all those students who want to continue their education and get a job that is related to their degree. I do not agree with Klein when he mentioned that people enjoy speculating about which county is going to be fallen next because it is generally speaking. However, Klein did mention that we should not look further for fallen countries because we live in one. I agree to Klein’s statement of living in a fallen country because the unemployment in the U.S is changing the way people live. In addition, students are unsure what they future is going to look like even if they earn a promising degree. In regards Klein’s statistics in paragraph two and four, I found that the information supported his argument. In addition, he cited that the countries such as Italy, Egypt, Portugal, and Spain have a similarity unemployment rate to the U.S. Furthermore, the unemployment is reaching everyone and especially college graduates. Klein’s anecdotal support is very common. In addition, many graduates have to work low paying jobs that have nothing to do with their degree. Moreover, a degree that was earned with hard work and also sacrifices due to the school budget cuts. In my case, I do fear that my hard work and dedication to earn a degree could be worthless. But do not get me wrong, as a current college student, I have confidence in myself, on what I can do, and where I can go, however, it not always depends on me but on the economy and the government exertions.
Posted by: Elba Gonzalez | 05/07/2013 at 06:51 PM
It is scary to hear that the unemployment rate in the United States, a first world country, is near the unemployment rate of Egypt, which is a developing country. The United States should be in better state than a majority of countries in the world since we contain many resources to help better us. Unfortunately, we take these resources for granted and abuse them and the United States ends up leading themselves downhill. Times have changed dramatically and now days, going to school and working hard does not pay off when one experiences their first job. The only reason one puts up with their first job is because they need the money to pay for schooling, their car or to even pay their rent. This generation has become so competitive when it comes to schooling and trying to get the best job out there that pays for their future. Students out there are focusing all their time at school and hoping for their dreams to come true but unfortunately all their hard work does not pay off until ten to twenty years after. During this hard and struggling time, students have a hard time finding jobs and keeping faith that they will reach their careers due to the economy and the high unemployment rate. Klein's article is very interesting to read due to the statistics he includes and his comparison of the United States and Egypt. An issue that I have with this article is that Klein does not provide any solutions or thoughts about how to fix this problem. I understand that one person cannot change the percent of the unemployment rate but I would have enjoyed this article more if Klein stated his views on this issue. I view this article as more of an informative article and it is stating how bad the unemployment rate is and how this rate is affecting student's education, their mental health, and their hope of reaching their careers in the future.
Posted by: Samantha Ramirez | 05/15/2013 at 12:55 AM
According to “Educated, Unemployed and Frustrated” by Matthew C. Klein, the author expresses his concern about the increase in unemployment rate within the United States. Klein states that the group of individuals who are suffering from the high unemployment rate would be young graduates who are under the age of twenty-five. Klein supports his claim by describing the negative consequences of youth unemployment from a financial and emotional aspect. I do agree with Klein’s claim about the rise in unemployment rate that is occurring in the job market. I support Klein’s statements regarding the fact that young graduates are probably suffering the most from unemployment. The idea that hard work can help an individual accomplish the impossible is proved wrong when young graduates cannot find stable jobs. It is not shocking if an unemployed person experiences suicidal ideations or depressive episodes. As a graduate, not being able to find a job that pays for one’s housing bills and food is an ugly truth. In order to survive tough economic times, young graduates might have to share a rented room with a partner and eat cheap meals from fast-food restaurants. Also, graduates might have to hold multiple jobs in order to support themselves and family members. These people should not be facing these obstacles in life for all the time that they invested into completing their college education. However, I cannot blame Klein for writing an article about youth unemployment because it is the harsh reality in our society. In the near future, I hope that my generation of people will not have to encounter this dark side of the job market. A majority of the population including myself are planning to complete graduate school and make contributions to the community with our newfound knowledge.
Posted by: Mai Luu | 08/01/2013 at 06:28 AM
This is a response to Salmon Mumtaz. I also agree with what Matthew Klein said about students with degrees that are not able to find a job. It is true that students with degrees have to lead them to the real jobs around the world. I am also as surprised as Mumtaz because I thought that the United States was the only place where graduated students struggled with finding jobs. I also agree with Klein that attending school and having to write many papers, study, and work hard should be a reward for graduated students to find jobs right away with a good salary. Students are to find jobs that are based on their career that they took long to study for in their colleges or universities. I agree with Klein when he said about students finding low paying jobs will eventually lose hope in trying to find a better paying job. Graduated students will not make any more efforts of finding a job with the career that they have their degree on, even though it took them a long time with hard work to receive their degree in that certain major. Klein also mentions how there have been protests around the world due to the fact of graduated students that are not able to find jobs right away. Mumtaz has said that Klein mentioned about how third world countries students’ that are able to find jobs right away; I did not catch that. I believe if these kinds of situations are happening around the world, then people should have the right to protest and fight for what they believe. It is not right that graduated students are to struggle in finding a job right away. Especially for those students that have earned any kind of degree ad should have the right to find a job right away based on their education that they worked hard for to get.
Posted by: Jessica Perez | 08/01/2013 at 01:25 PM
I think the article presents a concern that many people should worry about. The younger generations shouldn't have to worry about whether or not they would have a job after graduating from college, especially in the other countries such as Egypt or Spain. Jobs shouldn't have to be so difficult to come by this day and age due to the technological advances. Unemployment should be the last thing on people's minds. When they graduate, they say the world opens its doors but how can that be possible when most of them remain without jobs?
Posted by: Sara Johnson | 09/07/2014 at 08:56 PM
Matthew C. Klein's article, “Educated, Unemployed and Frustrated” creates an important point to consider in light of the growing unemployment problems for students and college graduates. I agree with his argument that we should be aware problems that unemployment has created in our country. Working hard in school for countless years and not being able to find a job based on your talents is a grim reality for so many. With such circumstances, it is easy for one to lose faith in their dreams and aspirations. In addition to the emotional impact unemployment has on people, I agree with Klein's emphasis on looking to other countries facing similar problems: "The uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa are a warning for the developed world. Even if an Egyptian-style revolution breaking out in a rich democracy is unthinkable, it is easy to recognize the frustration of a generation that lacks opportunity" (Klein). Nobody wants to admit that unemployment could start protests similar to uprisings in the Middle East. As time goes on, we can only hope that the future generations will be able to flourish where they worked so hard to reach.
Posted by: K Settle | 04/19/2015 at 02:08 PM
Personally, I believe that dropping out of college or not continuing to complete higher education isn't a bad thing. As college is not for everyone. Why should somebody waste their time and money doing something that they don't want or need to do. For example, if someone knew that they wanted to become a cashier at a supermarket and want to try and work their way up a business they are more likely to learn new skills and knowledge than doing classes in college. The only issue with this is for people who don't really know what they want to do and college isn't for them. I think that the government should create a programme that helps kids figure out what career path they are interested in.
Posted by: Albert Murch | 09/07/2015 at 10:26 PM
I find this article very interesting because a lot of people fail to notice that in these days, a degree does not promise a job right away. Many people go straight to college with the mind set that when they come out, they are promised a job. It is an unknown fact to many college students that in most cases, they will not be getting a job right out of college. Therefore, I also believe that college is not a necessity. Kids need to be properly educated about the pros and cons of a college education. We need to stop feeding the younger generations with the information that if they go to college they will make more money and be better prepared. Since this is not the case, I feel as though way more people will take a different route and not go to college, wasting money just to have the same paycheck as the kid next to you, who didn't go to college.
Posted by: Marta Walewska | 10/14/2016 at 12:19 PM
The Council on Foreign Relations' Matthew C. Klein is a research associate, who I believe is not advocating political movement, but creating his own argument. He actually has another point to make. In a wealthy democracy, such a revolt would be unimaginable. I do not believe Klein would exaggerate something so real. Klein's friend's experience is very normal, just like a few of my own friends, and relatives. I know folks who are working solely to pay off their college loans, and they aren't working in a field that requires their degrees. Personally, I believe this is a disappointment. From the time we can remember, we've been urged to go to college and study whatever we want. Yes, we do. Then we're stuck working on something we despise for the rest of our life to pay off what we went to school to do. Both yes and no. Yes, because our numbers are comparable to those under the age of 25, and no, because our numbers are lower for college graduates because we are resourceful and find other work while we wait. The only big difference is the United States offers many opportunities to both men and women that may not be offered in other countries. When it comes to my own future, I am optimistic. “Why?” You may ask. I am a person that believes that everything that is put on one’s path is for a reason. One may not understand why at the moment, but it all pays off once you look back and think about the time where you were not so sure about your position. Currently my job has nothing to do with my career path, but it is a job that helps with interacting with others in society. It is a way to take me out of my comfort zone and learn to speak up. I do believe in trying multiple jobs so that one knows a little bit of everything. I am now eligible to vote, which excites me because I am able to vote for the upcoming election. I would want to be the voice that unfortunately not many have. I will be one that is able to speak my mind and give ideas to better my future and others.
Posted by: Yasly Velasquez | 11/30/2021 at 08:28 AM