Despite growing numbers, job market still demands PhDs

By Jan Petter Myklebust. Despite a 38% increase in PhDs in OECD countries – reaching 213,000 in 2009 – there is still a premium on people with doctorates, according to a recent analysis of labour market and mobility indicators for doctorate holders. The study was conducted by the OECD in cooperation with UNESCO and Eurostat. Forty-two countries reported data in the so-called OECD KNOWINNO project – Making the Most of Science – supported by the European Union’s Seventh Framework programme with the participation of a large number of institutions and experts. More...