by Stuart Singer, The Teacher Leader

As the 2010 political season heats up, the nation’s unemployment rate has become a key issue.    The discussion typically revolves around how the future of elected officials will be ultimately determined by the public’s assessment of the jobs situation in the country.  Arguments abound as to the causes.  Some say that the crisis is the result of the downturn in the economy, while others blame poorly implemented government interventions.  Outsourcing and greed are also worked into the conversation.  I would like to offer a contrarian view.  The United States does not have an unemployment problem.  The United States has an education problem.

Some stunning numbers

Recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data illuminate some of the root causes of the current dilemma.  The overall jobless rate of 9.5% does not reveal the true story – at least not in its entirety.  Individuals without a high school diploma are more than three times as likely (13.8%) to be unemployed as people who have a college degree (4.5%). And having a high school diploma provides scant assistance (10.1%).   The economy is not merely shedding jobs; it is sending a clear message as to the economic future of our least educated. 

Far worse than it looks

While those numbers may not be surprising for some people, there are other facts that are legitimate reason for alarm.  By virtually every measure the United States is quickly becoming a world leader in high school dropouts.  A  news report on CBS related that our country which once boasted the highest graduation rate in the world now ranks 18th among industrialized nations.  If the downward trajectory continues the results would be calamitous.  This country may soon be facing an economic decline, which has little to do with derivatives and everything to do with diplomas.

Connecting the dots

The most terrifying aspect of all of these numbers is the fact that few people are really talking about them.  You cannot walk ten feet in this country without a discussion breaking out about the Mosque at ground zero, the oil spill in the Gulf or the future of Bret Favre.  And although there is also conversation about job loss, it fails to address the root cause.  If the unemployment numbers drop from 9.5% to say 8.5% the pundits will declare victory and move on to the next problem.   Even though the numbers that really matter are a high school dropout rate of more than 30% and rising, and a world rank of 18th and falling.

The world of 2010 has become a much less forgiving place for those individuals who have not completed high school.  If history is any guide, the general economy will eventually recover and the country will move on to yet another political crisis.  But the truth is until we, as a nation, find a way to ensure a good education for every citizen, the tragedy of unemployable individuals will never disappear.