Employment is on the rise in occupations that require further educational and skill training, according to a Pew Research survey released Sunday.
The October jobs report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics found the unemployment rate was 4.9 percent and 7.8 million Americans were out of work — figures that have little changed over the course of 2016.
As a result, many workers found further job training and developing new skills are key to gaining more prosperous employment, Pew Research reports.
Around 83 million Americans found jobs that required average or above-average levels of preparation in 2015, a 68 percent increase from 1980. Growth in these types of jobs was 31 percent higher than in jobs with a below-average level of job preparation.
The occupations that experienced the greatest increase in employment and wages are those that require higher levels of social and analytical skills, the survey finds. Jobs requiring high levels of analytical and social skills saw the wages rise by $4 from 1990 to 2015.
The majority of American workers, when surveyed, say they need continuous job training to keep up with an ever-changing workplace. Only 16 percent of all U.S. adults say a bachelors degree prepares people “very well” for a well-paying job in the current economy, the survey reports.
Maybe the most fascinating finding is most Americans think the responsibility for ensuring the workforce is prepared with the necessary skills to be successful in today’s economy lies with individuals themselves. Seventy-two percent of U.S. adults surveyed said that individuals should bear “a lot” of the responsibility for making sure they are prepared for today’s economy.
Some six-in-10 Americans say that the average working American has less job security now than 20 or 30 years ago. Interestingly, 88 percent think their own jobs are secure.
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