Skip to main content
New CEW Report

The Summer Surge In College Unemployment: Why It Happens and What You Can Do About It

August 13, 2013September 9th, 20241 min read

The Summer Surge In College Unemployment

Why It Happens and What You Can Do About It

Full Report

PowerPoint/Infographic

Press Release

The Summer Surge In College Unemployment shows a rise in unemployment that frightens college graduates as they venture into the job market. This rise in unemployment, however, is cyclical and predictable. The study analyses the summer surge & includes recommendations for students getting ready to graduate.

Key Findings

1

Every year, college unemployment surges in the summer but recedes in the fall.
2

The summer surge follows May and June graduations as new graduates enter the workforce over a short two-month period and increase the labor supply of young college graduates by 17 percent.
3

During the recession between 2008-2010, the surge was stronger and hiring in the fall was not as strong as in previous years. Since the recovery, however, the normal pattern of summer unemployment and fall hiring has begun to return.
4

Beginning this year, the study finds, college graduates have more to look forward to. If the recovery holds there will be another 19.4 million job openings for people with college degrees over the next ten years.

Infographic

Resources

Every summer, a rise in unemployment frightens college graduates as they venture into the job market. This rise in unemployment, however, is cyclical and, as such, predictable.

Read Full Report
Full Report
PowerPoint
Press Release
Infographic
About CEW
Privacy Policy
EIT accessibility