A new study published by the Institute for the Study of Labor, a German research center, found that economic conditions influence the majors chosen by American college students. The study explored the relationship between choice of major for bachelor’s students and the unemployment rate from 1962 to 2013.
The study found that college students were more likely to choose majors in the STEM fields during periods with a weaker job market, presumably because those degrees were perceived to make them more hirable or offer better pay.