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Education Outcomes

Why is stable employment important?

Stable employment is used as a proxy for having a quality job, which can provide a reliable source of income to sustain a worker’s living. In general, a full-time job is considered a quality job, but NSWERS’ employment data does not include the number of hours worked. However, stable employment suggests that the worker had consistent work, which may also indicate that the worker has a reliable income source.

Why was the six-month employment threshold chosen?

The six-month threshold is considered a significant milestone for college graduates as it coincides with the end of the federal student loan grace period. This period allows graduates time to find a job before they are required to begin repaying their student loans. Even if a student does not complete their program, the grace period automatically begins once their enrollment status in college drops below half-time enrollment. Half-time enrollment is an enrollment status applied to students who are only enrolled in half of the expected full-time course load.

What happens if a worker has multiple employment records from different employers?

NSWERS takes the start date of the earliest stable employment record. If the worker has a non-stable employment record that predates the stable one, NSWERS still uses the start date of the stable employment record.

Why is the proportion of students with unstable employment so large?

Unstable employment may appear inflated because workforce data does not differentiate between part-time and full-time employment. Additionally, the data does not account for students who leave the state for work, which results in them being classified as “unstable” due to insufficient records. Future data collection plans for this outcome include incorporating workforce data from other states to improve this measure.

Data Dictionary