Letters to the Editor

Concerns of a Graduate

I recently graduated Portland State University, class of 2011. The tone of the ceremony was optimistic and suggested that bright futures await us five thousand plus graduates, which I hope is true. However, market conditions suggest otherwise: Matthew C. Klein published an article in the New York Times on March 20th, 2011 entitled “Educated, Unemployed and Frustrated,” which chronicles the fact that 11.2 percent of college graduates under 25 years of age are without work. Consequently, as a 22 year old graduate, this situation concerns me personally: despite maintaining a high grade point average during my academic career and submitting applications for hundreds of entry level positions, I’m concerned that I may be homeless within a matter of months unless I can quickly obtain work. Hopefully, the job market will rebound soon otherwise I may soon be living on the street.  Isn’t a university diploma supposed to guarantee economic security?

Mark Abell