Student loan debt has an influence over borrowers career choices long after graduation, affecting their job satisfaction, career advancement, and investment strategies.
According to a recent study conducted by MissionSquare Research Institute, the debt thats carried by one in four Americans under 40 affects job-acceptance decisions for 56% of public-sector employees and 62% of those working in the private sector.
When they choose to accept . . . jobs, [the] majority of them have considered how that position or that job can help them with their student loan debt, says the reports author and MissionSquares head of research, Zhikun Liu. It not only impacts people’s day-to-day financials, but also their morale at work, job acceptance, as well as their retention.
While most professionals take salary into consideration, Liu says borrowers are more likely to view compensation as a top priority, even at the expense of other factors like job satisfaction or advancement opportunities. That was especially true among male, Black, and Hispanic borrowers, according to the survey, who were about 10% more likely to view the debt as a significant factor in their career choices.
Perhaps that is why retention rates were significantly lower among borrowers, with just 39% saying they wanted to stay with their current employer, compared with 61% of those without student loans.
We find that student debt leads to short-term financial planning and limited investment opportunities, which in turn hinders wealth accumulation and retirement planning, Liu says. They cannot take more risks, and their financial planning horizon is within the next few months, or within the year, versus [planning for] the next five, 10 years.
Borrowers are less satisfied with their jobs long after graduation
According to the study, younger workers are more likely to say that student loan debt has limited their career advancement opportunities. Borrowers of all ages, however, report higher levels of career dissatisfaction and lower levels of loyalty to their current employer.
According to the MissionSquare survey, more than a third of borrowers said the debt has served as a barrier to career advancement. Furthermore, while 18% of public sector employees without student loan debt report low work morale, the proportion jumps to 23% among borrowers.
It does force some trade-offs, says Cassie Spencer, a career coach who works with students, recent graduates and mid-career professionals. You may need to live at home for longer, if you can, or move to a smaller city with more affordable living costs, but that can mean [fewer] job growth opportunities.
Not being able to afford rent in a major city while paying down student loans or feeling pressure to take a less desirable jobor one with more limited career advancement potentialto secure a higher starting salary can reduce borrowers job satisfaction, employer loyalty, and long-term prospects.
Furthermore, as graduates get older, Spencer says the debt often forces borrowers to delay major milestoneslike purchasing a home, starting a family, starting a business, or changing careerswhich can make them feel stuck.
It becomes a decision of, do I continue to work in this job or this industry that I don’t love, or that I feel is having a negative impact on my life and my mental health, for something that could be better, even though the pay is not there? she says. A lot of people in their early to mid-30s are not homebuyers yet; a lot of people are delaying starting a family; and theres a lot of factors, but I think student loan debt is one of those factors.
Borrowers are better at pursuing professional development
Though there are many challenges associated with student loan debt, its not all bad news for borrowers. This research suggests the added burden inspires them to pursue more professional development and educational credentials.
According to the MissionSquare study, those with student loan debt are 37% more likely to say they are pursuing a professional development goalsuch as new skills, responsibilities, leadership opportunities, and credentialsor have already achieved it.
The desire for additional skills training at an affordable rate and at a quick pace has inspired many borrowers to pursue one-year masters programs that begin during undergrad, often referred to as accelerated Masters or four-plus-one programs. The influx of four-plus-one programs and the rise in students specifically looking for accelerated, shorter-term programs is astronomical, Spencer says.
She adds that such programs can help recent graduates begin their careers at a higher salary level, though there are risks, as it does add to their debt and makes it harder to switch careers later on.
Gen Z is already a generation that really does want to invest in their skills, and they want employers that are going to invest in them, says Christine Cruzvergara, the chief education strategy officer for Gen Z career platform Handshake. For those with student loans in this generation, its even more so.
The long-term financial implications of student loan debt
Taking on such a significant debt load at such a young age can also make it harder for borrowers to set and achieve long-term financial goals.
Borrowers are less likely to also be investors, according to the MissionSquare study, and those that were reported a much shorter investment horizon. As a result, public sector employees with student loan debt were 14% more likely to strongly agree that their retirement savings are inadequate, as well as 9% of private sector staff.
According to a recent survey conducted by Handshake 54% of borrowers say their student loan debt is a major source of stress, including 61% of Black and first-generation borrowers.
For some it can be crippling because they either don’t have the support or the knowledge or the teaching from anyone to know how to manage all of this, Cruzvergara says, adding that it can also inspire borrowers to learn about personal finance sooner. You can choose to make this motivational for you, and, quite frankly, get smart about your finances very early in your life.
How employers can help student borrowersand themselves
Cruzvergara advises all young peoplebut especially borrowersto seek out the education and advice they need to manage their money responsibly.
She also implores organizations seeking to hire young talent to offer student loan repayment plans, a perk which 25% of undergraduates in the Handshake survey say is essential, but one that just a tenth of full-time employers offer.
With most of this years graduates leaving school with debt, Cruzvergara says employers should also remain open-minded about where theyre recruiting from. After all, in an environment where loans can have lasting career and lifestyle implications, some of the savviest studens are intentionally turning down brand-name schools for more affordable alternatives.
It doesn’t mean the student couldn’t get into the expensive private school that has a better brand name, but maybe it does mean that that student made a smart financial decision from the get-go not to take on all of that debt, she says. So, that talent might actually be just as good, just as smart, just as intelligent, but may not be at the brand name school that the employer has historically recruited at.
