The Credential Inflation Trap

Jobs that once required a high school diploma now demand a bachelor's degree—not because the roles grew more complex, but because degree holders flooded the labor market. This 30% increase in credential requirements over the past decade is more than twice the rate of skill complexity growth. It is 50% slower to adapt than Tech Industry Dropping Degree Requirements's industry-wide policy shift, trapping workers in a costly degree cycle that no longer guarantees better pay.