With college graduate unemployment at a 40-year high, enrolling into a second degree or moving home to mom and dad seem to be the only options for many young BA holders. For those graduates who are finding jobs, settling for work below their skill level is becoming commonplace. In a country with the world’s best higher education, too many graduates are being greeted by unacceptable scenarios of unemployment and underemployment. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, only one in four 2010 graduates who applied for a job had one lined up upon graduation. While the economy may be showing subtle signs of improvement, analysts agree that pre-recession employment levels will not be seen for several years. For college graduates, the outlook is dangerous and unsustainable, and for the United States, 20 million jobs need to be created in the next decade.

It is therefore imperative that America’s hardest hit job seekers look to entrepreneurship, both for personal and national gain.