Computer science has one of the highest unemployment rates

Summary

Despite routinely ranking as one of the most popular majors for college students and recent graduates, computer science has one of the highest unemployment rates across all areas of study.Computer science ranked seventh amongst undergraduate majors with the highest unemployment at 6.1 percent, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York."Every kid with a laptop thinks they're the next Zuckerberg, but most can't debug their way out of a paper bag," one expert told Newsweek.Why It MattersIn recent years, demand for computer science majors grew as a result of the tech boom during the COVID-19 pandemic.However, as major companies like Amazon and Google have laid off thousands of workers to boost profits, the major has lost some of its appeal in the job market. New York University graduates celebrate during commencement ceremonies in Washington Square Park May 10, 2007, in New York City. New York University graduates celebrate during commencement ceremonies in Washington Square Park May 10, 2007, in New York City. Mario Tama/Getty Images What To KnowDespite computer science being ranked as number one by the Princeton Review for college majors, the tech industry may not be living up to graduates' expectations.When it came to undergraduate majors with the highest unemployment rates, computer science came in at number seven, even amid its relative popularity.The major saw an unemployment rate of 6.1 percent, just under those top majors like physics and anthropology, which had rates of 7.8 and 9.4 percent respectively.Computer engineering, which at many schools is the same as computer science, had a 7.5 percent unemployment rate, calling into question the job market many computer science graduates are entering.On the other hand, majors like nutrition sciences, construction services and civil engineering had some of the lowest unemployment rates, hovering between 1 percent to as low as 0.4 percent.This data was based on The New York Fed's report, which looked at Census ...