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Art history, visual and performing arts, and graphic design majors in the US are some of the most underemployed fields in the country, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
As of February 2024, people who majored in art history in undergrad held an 8% unemployment rate and a 62.3% underemployment rate, despite having the highest level of education out of the creative majors included in the report, Hyperallergic reports.
Fine arts majors had a 7.9% unemployment rate, but pulled ahead slightly in field placement with a 55.5% underemployment rate.
Performing arts majors had a 5.5% unemployment rate, but led in underemployment out of the included creative studies fields at 65.3%.
Graphic designers, while primarily only holding Bachelor's degrees, had the lowest underemployment rate in the creative sector at 33.7%.
The numbers don't inspire a lot of confidence in an already dicey labor market that prioritizes the STEM fields.
For comparison, Industrial Engineering, Construction Services, and Medical Technician majors lead the way in job placements, and various engineering tracks boast minimum six-figure median salaries by mid-career (ages 35 to 45).
"An occupation-based understanding of employment is important, but a limited means to understanding the value generated for an individual and the
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