"he rate of unemployment still stands stubbornly close to 8 per cent, while millions of unemployed workers have given up looking for jobs, taking them out of the official statistics of the jobless. Yet, the US Labor Department shows 3 million jobs requiring special skills that remain unfilled. "
"It felt to me that this year we've entered into a post-recession reality in how families are paying for college," said Sarah Ducich, senior vice president for public policy at Sallie Mae and an author of the study. "Even though college costs continue to increase, the amount that families are spending is holding steady, meaning they're making choices in a mostly cost-conscious construct."