ByErik Sherman,
Senior Contributor.
For many year, if you wanted a good economic future, you’d head to college for that sheepskin golden ticket. The advice to do so has been effective in selling the higher education dream. IN January, the Lumina Foundation noted that the percentage of working adults who earned a post-secondary education degree (including associate) rose to 54.9%, as Forbes Senior Contributor Michael Nietzel reported.
Unfortunately, the magic wand is sputtering. Layoffs have been growing heavy, and the ranks of the unemployed are filling with a large number of well-educated workers. If you consider all holders of post-secondary degrees, they comprise 41.3% of the unemployed.
In October 2025, U.S.-based corporations announced 153,074 job cuts, according to outplacement company Challenger, Gray & Christmas. That was up 183% from the 54,064 job cuts in September. The October figure was up 175% from 55,597 the year before.
