College Educated Labor Force and Unemployment by Nativity, 1996-2002

Year

Total

U.S. Born

Foreign Born

College Educated Labor Force (in 1,000s)

1996

32,197

28,696

3,501

1997

33,092

29,267

3,825

1998

34,342

30,256

4,086

1999

35,548

31,215

4,333

2000

36,080

31,506

4,574

2001

36,828

31,913

4,915

2002

38,518

33,057

5,461

% of College Educated Labor Force

1996

100.0%

89.1%

10.9%

1997

100.0%

88.4%

11.6%

1998

100.0%

88.1%

11.9%

1999

100.0%

87.8%

12.2%

2000

100.0%

87.3%

12.7%

2001

100.0%

86.7%

13.3%

2002

100.0%

85.8%

14.2%

Total

U.S. Born

Foreign Born

College Educated Unemployed (in 1,000s)

1996

732

593

139

1997

667

536

131

1998

612

508

104

1999

643

532

111

2000

601

495

106

2001

833

668

165

2002

1,122

892

230

 Unemployment Rate of College-Educated (%)

1996

2.3%

2.1%

4.0%

1997

2.0%

1.8%

3.4%

1998

1.8%

1.7%

2.5%

1999

1.8%

1.7%

2.6%

2000

1.7%

1.6%

2.3%

2001

2.3%

2.1%

3.4%

2002

2.9%

2.7%

4.2%

a. Bachelor's degree or more.

Source: Current Population Survey (CPS), Bureau of Labor Statistics, unpublished data.

Available upon request.