Disturbing Trend Found Among Americans Without College Degrees

Over the past decade, college enrollment in America has significantly declined. With the ever-increasing price tag for education and many companies removing degree requirements, some say a diploma is no longer necessary for success.

It’s important to understand that, for decades, attending a four-year college or university was considered absolutely essential for professional and financial success in the United States. 

One of the main reasons young Americans are no longer attending four-year universities is the exorbitant cost. The average university diploma now costs around $104,108, and many Americans have decided they simply don’t want to start their lives in extreme debt.

Because attending college has become incredibly expensive for so many, students are often left disappointed once they do graduate college and enter the workforce. This is because they aren’t making enough money.

As many new college graduates have opened up about how it seems like their degree hasn’t helped them earn more money, other people may begin to think less about obtaining a university degree.

Employers could continue to offer more jobs to those with only high school diplomas as a result of a change in the generational workers. As more senior citizens leave the workforce to retire, employers will need to fill their spots.

Many jobs require their workers to be college-educated. Most of them don’t actually need employees to have these degrees. What they need instead is proper training for that specific job.

It’s important to note that even though many companies no longer require college degrees, getting that diploma still has its upsides. For example, between two applicants with almost identical resumes, the person who went to college will certainly have a better chance of getting the job.

The average life expectancy of Americans has always been quite an interesting topic. As a world leader and one of the wealthiest countries on the planet, one might expect the USA to have one of the highest average life expectancies. 

There are several theories as to why Americans don’t live as long as residents of other countries, but one commonly supported hypothesis is that the USA simply has fewer social safety policies.

Additionally, some studies have found that the average life expectancy of Americans significantly varies, depending on where they live.

Of course, certain events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have also affected the country’s average life expectancy.

Economists Anne Case and Angus Deaton from Princeton recently collected extensive data regarding the life expectancy of Americans, especially the differences between those who attended college and those who did not. 

According to Case and Deaton’s data, in 2021, a college-educated American could expect to live more than 83 years, whereas a non-college-educated American shouldn’t expect to live past 75.

Because one of the leading causes of America’s low life expectancy is the country’s unimpressive healthcare system, one of the most commonly accepted ideas is that college-educated Americans are living longer because they have better jobs. 

Those with college degrees may also live longer because they make higher wages. With potentially more money in their pocket, these Americans can pay more money for better healthcare services, if needed.

By comparison, those who don’t have college degrees might not have the same opportunities. They may have to choose careers that could physically weaken them over time, such as construction or warehouse careers.

Researchers of this study also took a look at how communities can differ in the United States. According to Case and Deaton, many workers without degrees have a much higher chance of living in areas that have been severely impacted by the opioid epidemic.

This latest study also reveals yet another inequality that can exist in the American workforce. Overall health is clearly different from those who have college degrees and those who don’t.

Almost two-thirds of the U.S. population do not have college degrees. This means that a majority of Americans can be expected to live shorter lives than their more educated counterparts.

After finding these astonishing discoveries about the inequalities in the health of those with and without a college education, Case and Deaton then looked to see if this alarming trend could be found in any other country.

Thanks to Case and Deaton’s additional research, they can therefore confirm that this isn’t a natural problem that exists in complex societies. No other rich country faces this type of issue among its different working classes.

The United States has fallen behind other rich Western nations when it comes to the overall health and lifespan of its citizens for years now. Could the difference in how jobs are organized and run in these other countries also be why this discrepancy remains?

It will be extremely interesting to see if this statistic changes over the next few years as fewer young Americans enter the workforce with a college degree.