Harvard introduces nationwide labor market mapping tool

College earnings premiums appear to be declining for the first time in decades and the value proposition of college is beginning to fade in the eyes of many, according to the Harvard Workforce Almanac. As education costs continue to skyrocket and student debt mounts, Americans are reconsidering whether college is truly worth the expense. One means of addressing the issue is to provide data to better inform decision-making. Harvard Kenedy School has recently made available a new tool, the College-to-Jobs Map, to connect regional higher education and workforce data, allowing users to visualize the graduate supply and employment demand challenges facing their communities. The data can also highlight labor market gaps, enabling practitioners to better align curriculum with workforce needs.

The College-to-Jobs Map combines public data with job postings data from Lightcast, a leading labor market analytics firm, to create a picture of the regional college-to-jobs ecosystem. It is part of the College-to-Jobs Initiative led by David Deming, professor of public policy at Harvard Kennedy School, and Joseph B. Fuller, professor of management practice at Harvard Business School. The project also includes a research-practice playbook that examines programs designed to connect college students to good jobs.