Australia wants 80 per cent of working-age people to hold a tertiary qualification by 2050. Yet almost half of workers say they are already overeducated for their jobs. The answer depends on what we think education is actually for.

The federal government is aiming for 80 per cent of Australian adults to have a vocational or university qualification by 2050, up from the current rate of 60 per cent.

It seems fair to question this goal, when almost half of Australian workers say they are overeducated, according to new survey results.

The latest Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, released on Thursday, shows 49.5 per cent of workers aged 18 to 64 were ‘overeducated’ in 2024. This means they had a higher educational level than they believed they needed to successfully do their job.

On top of this, 25.7 per cent of workers said they were overskilled, meaning they reported they do not use many of their skills and abilities in their job.

But before rushing to judgement, it is worth considering reasons why almost all countries worldwide are educating more tertiary graduates than a generation ago.

Reporting on overeducation

HILDA is an annual survey that tracks around 17,000 Australians. Each year, it asks respondents for their highest educational qualification.

Every four years since 2012, the survey also asks respondents for the minimum level of education........

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