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Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Earnings by Education

Education pays. 

This phrase is used time and again among Oregon's workforce professionals. It's such a strong message that it has been the highlight of posters plastered on classroom walls, counselor's doors, and WorkSource Oregon offices all around the state. You can even order one of the Oregon Employment Department's Education Pays posters by going to our publication order form

While education is generally thought of as a means of finding a higher-paying job, it is striking to see just how correlated more education is with an increase in pay. The chart below is from national data on weekly earnings and education. A worker with a high school diploma had median weekly earnings of $651 in 2013, while workers with a bachelor's degree had weekly median earnings of $1,108.

Notice also that those with less education are much more likely to be unemployed.

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