Liberal Arts
New research shows developing technical skills with a liberal arts education can nearly double the jobs available to graduates
What Can You Do with a Liberal Arts Degree? Plenty, With the Right Skills
Liberal arts majors make less than other college graduates in the job market—but with a few extra skills, they can essentially erase that salary gap.
Research Event: Liberal Arts in the Job Market
Burning Glass Technologies and the American Enterprise Institute will hold an event Feb. 2 that shows liberal arts degrees can pay off in the job market, if graduates add the right skill sets.
New research from Burning Glass shows developing technical skills with a liberal arts education can nearly double the jobs available to graduates
Burning Glass analyzed millions of online job postings from the past 12 months and found that by coupling technical skills with a liberal arts education, you can nearly double the jobs available to graduates, while also offering an average salary premium of $6,000.
Burning Glass identified eight technical skill sets:
- Marketing
- Sales
- Business
- Social Media
- Graphic Design
- Data Analysis
- Computer Programming
- IT Networking
All of which can be acquired with through coursework, such as a minor or internships. According to a recent report from Georgetown’s Center on Education and the Workforce, liberal arts graduates have an average unemployment rate (9.7%) that is 2.7% higher than the average rate for all graduates (7%).
By developing one of these technical skill sets, liberal arts graduates can enhance their competitiveness and have the opportunity to increase their salary.
All information was compiled using Labor/Insight – a new web-based tool that puts our real-time labor market data at the fingertips of education and workforce professionals who wish to keep their programs at the leading edge of employment trends.
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