Resilience is a critical skill we’ve heard much about in relation to childhood development, mental health, education, business, and more during the pandemic. Economically, higher education has proven to be a tremendous factor in resilience in the job market.
Employment and wage outcomes during the Great Recession consistently improved with each level of educational attainment. In 2019, weekly salaries for those with an associate’s degree were 19 percent higher than they were for those with only a high school diploma. Salaries were 67% higher for those with a bachelor’s degree.
History is repeating itself. According to the Federal Reserve, 39 percent of those employed in February from households earning under $40,000 suffered a job loss in March while 63 percent of workers with at least a bachelor’s degree worked entirely from home.
In Snohomish County, we have consistently lagged in post-secondary education, a full 6 points behind the state average. That is why Washington state invested in creating the Washington State University Everett campus in 2012. I am a proud graduate of WSU, transferring from Everett Community College after completing my associate’s degree and transferring to WSU Everett to earn my bachelor’s degree in Communications.
Taking this path to earn my degree saved me tens of thousands of dollars, kept me close to home, and helped me launch my career in non-profit communications. Parents and students should look to Snohomish County’s community colleges and WSU Everett as a path to their desired credential, which has proven to greatly increase your own financial resilience.
Hayley Statema
Snohomish
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