Education at a Glance 2013

Education at a Glance, a report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, analyzes various indicators of performance for pre-kindergarten through higher education across 34 member countries. The 2013 edition emphasizes the relationship between the level of educational attainment and rates of employment, concluding that gaps in employment rates between those with and without postsecondary education widened during the recession. The report shows that the United States unemployment rate for those without a postsecondary degree is up to 16.2 percent (6 percentage points higher than 2008). Additionally, the U.S. now ranks 5^th in postsecondary education attainment among 25-64 year olds, 12th when considering just 25-34 year olds, and spends 2.8% of its GDP on higher education (compared to a worldwide average of 1.6%).