Market Factors

At the time of this analysis, the Covid-19 pandemic was just taking hold. Repercussions of this global event will impact both graduates and employment in ways that are not addressed in this document. Primary market and other factors that might affect the employment of new college graduates between 2020 and 2025:

• Novel viral outbreaks and restrictions due to the pandemic
• Pandemic and post-pandemic impacts on economies
• Delayed or enhanced number of position openings due to anticipated retirements
• Expected decline in the number of high school graduates across many regions of the United States, resulting in an overall reduction in the number of students pursuing college degrees
• Climate-related changes and shifts in production and availability of food, agricultural, renewable natural resources and other biomaterials
• Continued changes and evolution of consumer preferences for foods and biomaterials
• Public and trade policy choices affecting food, agriculture, renewable natural resources and the environment
• Technological advancements in agriculture and biomaterials, particularly the role of automation and data science
• Global market shifts in population, income, food and energy
• Personal lifestyle and community demands on outdoor and recreational spaces