Best job market in nearly a decade?

In a commencement address on Monday, Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen congratulated the graduating class at the University of Baltimore on earning their degrees and told them that they're entering the workforce at an opportune time.

Per Yellen, the grads are entering the best job market in nearly a decade following years of a slow economic recovery. During a strong economy, she added, not only are jobs more plentiful, but they tend to pay better.

Yellen told the graduates that the degrees they've earned are the ticket to a successful working life, giving them access to higher-paying opportunities and providing them with higher job satisfaction over their careers.

Yellen stated that college graduates' annual earnings are, on average, 70% higher than those who only hold a high school diploma -- an increase of 50% since 1980.

The chairwoman went on to say that all signs point to a healthy job market, including consistent job creation, more job openings, and a low layoff rate. It also appears that wage growth is on the rise.

Still, she cautioned that the economy is still growing at a slower pace than in past recoveries and that productivity growth has fallen short of expectations.

The onus will be on president-elect Donald Trump to keep the momentum going as he strides into office next month. Trump has laid out an economic plan that he says would create 25 million new jobs over the next decade.

And while it's true that a degree holds considerable weight when one is only starting out in the work world, as time wears on, employers care more about experience than they do the degree.

Do you think the job market in the U.S. is as healthy as Yellen is making it out to be?

Comments

Do you have Isolophilia? Find out...

You're probably asking yourself, "What in the world does Isolophilia mean?" It sounds like it would be something negative, doesn't it? After all, words that end in "philia" (e.g., pedophilia) tend to involve things we want nothing to do with. But Isolophilia isn't something all people deplore. In fact, introverts like me welcome it. Put simply, Isolophilia is defined as having a strong affinity for solitude. It describes a person who relishes being alone. While extroverts can only take so much solitude, we introverts find that it rejuvenates us. In order to recharge our batteries, we need to retreat to a quiet environment where we we're left alone to rest and/or gather our thoughts. Extroverts, on the other hand, become bored and drained when they're alone for a lengthy period of time. Social interaction is the fuel that drives them. So while an extrovert would probably do anything to avoid feelings of Isolophilia in most cases, an...

No response from someone IS a response

Make no mistake about it: When you don't get a response from someone -- whether they fail to answer your texts or return your phone calls -- it is still a response, and a powerful one at that. When a person fails to respond, it's a direct reflection of their interest -- or lack thereof -- in the relationship. Few things are more aggravating than having to hound a partner, friend, or relative for some sort of reply after we've reached out to them. Yes, we get busy from time to time, but that doesn't give anyone the right to leave the other person hanging. A terse text with something like "Been busy, will reach out soon" doesn't say much, but at least it shows some effort to bring the other person up to speed on why they've fallen off the radar. Failing to provide a response for weeks -- if not months -- communicates that you are just not a priority, and that you'll have to wait your turn to get this individual's attention. This is n...

An important note to women about men and attraction

I was raised by my mom, grandma, and two older sisters. Growing up, never did I ever take any interest in the girls at school who tended toward exposing more skin. I always treated them as I would my female family members -- with the utmost courtesy and respect. And anytime I suspected that a male friend or acquaintance of mine adopted a hump-and-dump attitude toward women, I nixed them from my life. I held men who treated women as objects in very low regard, and still do to this day. If women feel empowered to show off their bodies because they love and work hard on their physique, more power to them. In other words, if they're doing it to please THEMSELVES and no one else, good for them. However, those who do it specifically to curry men's favor are making a big mistake. It sends the wrong signals and actually makes it less likely that a man will want to stick around for a committed relationship (if that's what you want as anyway). Granted, if you're not lookin...

How To Understand People

Search This Blog