As work opportunities become more knowledge-based, Philadelphians increased their educational levels - but not enough to provide for greater participation in the workforce. Educational attainment is one indicator of the spells of unemployment that a worker may experience.  The unemployment rate in Philadelphia is higher than the nation on average for each educational attainment group but particularly so at lower levels.  Career jobs that, in the past, required fewer skills in industries, such as manufacturing, that supported workers without a high school diploma no longer exist in large numbers.  Workers with lower educational attainment face significant challenges in finding a job and often become discouraged from searching for work after long spells of unemployment. Labor force participation shows that individuals with lower educational attainment are more likely to not participate in labor force, that is, they are neither employed nor actively looking for a job.

Historical information is available through the Minnesota Population Center, National Historical Information System, current population characteristics by age are from the 2007-2009 American Community Survey.

Tables and data used in this analysis can be downloaded here.