- For 2025 grads, liberal arts majors have better employment prospects than STEM-related majors, according to new data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
- The shift in desirable skill sets is tied to the rise of AI, according to experts who spoke to CNBC
As we approach college graduation season, a flood of newly qualified professionals is set to enter the workforce. According to new data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, some surprising majors will have better employment prospects than others.
In its recently released Labor Market for Recent College Graduates report, the New York Fed reported that the three majors with the lowest unemployment rates were nutrition sciences at 0.4%, construction services at 0.7%, and animal and plant sciences at 1%.
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Performing arts, with a 2.7% unemployment rate, art history with a 3% unemployment rate, and theology and religion with a 3.1% unemployment rate also took top spots.
These liberal arts majors all had better prospects than many STEM majors. Computer engineering has a 7.5% unemployment rate, and computer science sits at a 6.1% unemployment rate.
For years, students have been advised to pursue majors in STEM-related fields because they provide the best earnings potential and the most room for growth. In some regards, that remains true. The New York Fed reports that of all 74 majors it collected data on, computer science and computer engineering had the highest early career median wage at $80,000.
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But tides seem to be turning. Not only do many humanities majors have better employment prospects according to the data, but many employers are also saying they're actively seeking new hires with humanities backgrounds.
At Fortune's Future of Finance conference last May, BlackRock operating chief Robert Goldstein said his firm was adjusting its hiring strategies for new graduates. "We have more and more conviction that we need people who majored in history, in English, and things that have nothing to do with finance or technology," he said.
The demand for soft skills, like creativity and innovative thinking, that are developed by these sorts of liberal arts degrees is largely driven by the rise of AI, according to CNBC. By 2030, 70% of the skills used in most jobs will change due to the rise of AI, according to LinkedIn's "Skills on the Rise" report.
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There are some hard skills, however, that remain very much in demand. Jobs in the healthcare sector are continuing to grow, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting 1.9 million new positions opening each year until 2033. Unemployment rates for nursing majors sit at just 1.4% according to the New York Fed, with health services and medical technicians also low at 2.2% and 2.8%, respectively.
Travis Moore, a health-care strategist at Indeed, told CNBC, "Nursing is extremely resilient in times of economic uncertainty, like we are seeing right now." So, despite its relatively low early career median wage of $65,000, it’s a safe bet in terms of long-term job security.
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