By 1993, this wage premium had grown to over 70 percent. Those with higher education not only earn higher wages, they are less likely to become unemployed, and fare well even in a recession. For example, in the economic down turn of the early 1990s, unemployment rates for those with less than a high school degree reached 13 percent. For high school graduates, unemployment levels reached 7 percent. But, for college graduates, unemployment rates hovered around 3 percent.
Computer skills are in demand in workplaces of all kinds.
A recent Bureau of Labor Statistics study reported that computer training took up 20 percent of total training hours, the largest share of any type of employee training. And evidence indicates that workers who use a computer on the job earn significantly more than those who do not. Peering more deeply into this skill set, the ability to learn involves the ability to identify the limits of personal knowledge, to ask pertinent questions, and to identify sources of information. Problem solving involves analytical skills such as identifying the root causes of problems, brainstorming, hypothesizing, and recognizing potential solutions. Working in groups requires oral communications and listening skills, and skills in interpersonal relations, negotiation, and conflict resolution.