Chart of the Day - Why Education Matters - The Unemployment Rate by Educational Attainment

Chart and Analysis Courtesy of ChartOfTheDay.com

Last week the Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate fell to 9.0% during the month of January.

For some perspective on the current state of the labor market, today's chart illustrates the unemployment rate by educational attainment.

As today's chart illustrates, a higher educational attainment has correlated with a lower unemployment rate.

For example, the unemployment rate for those that have not completed high school (red line) currently stands at an extremely high 14.2% -- more than triple the amount for those with a bachelor's degree or greater (blue line), which currently stands at 4.2%.

On a positive note, the unemployment rate for each level of educational attainment has moved significantly lower over the past couple months.