Metropolitan areas with a more educated population have higher employment rates, especially for those without a college degree

U.S. unemployment still lingers above recent historical averages, but some areas are doing much better than others. In particular, areas with higher average education levels have higher employment rates and lower unemployment rates, and this is not just true for highly educated individuals. By examining the ‘externalities’ of education, John Winters finds that less educated workers especially benefit from the education received by their neighbors and coworkers.