Things that should not be run like businesses: universities, hospitals, and government. Things that should be run like businesses: businesses. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

Private equity destroying the bowling industry is a great microcosm of how leisure in the US has changed over my lifetime. Bowling used to be low-tech, relaxing, and inexpensive. Now it’s overstimulating, garish, and expensive.

This is an insane and concerning story

Happening tomorrow! Register here: go.rutgers.edu/majortradeoffs or on the QR code on the flyer. It should be a great conversation, and there will be plenty of time for Q & A!

Economist discovers secondary socialization and habitus, gets a write-up in The Atlantic. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

Check out my new article in the Review of Higher Education! Based on the incongruity between which college graduates use skills at work and which have good employment conditions, I advance a framework for the college-to-work transition that considers majors as unique sites of cultural value. Link 👇

We know higher education prepares students well for the workforce, but there's a sticky cultural narrative that suggests it doesn't. Check out my blog post with Kyle Albert, where we discuss strategies universities can use to further signal their skill relevance to society. Link 👇

At #ESS2026? Don't miss a chance to meet Corey Moss-Pech and discuss Major Trade-Offs, an eye-opening look at the relationship between students’ majors and their entry-level jobs, today at 9:30am. Learn more about the book here: bit.ly/UCPEXESS #ESS2026

It's always a blast doing events for my book. Here I am presenting at the Labor Studies and Employment Relations department at Rutgers. Next stop, ESS in DC. If you're attending the conference this weekend, stop by and say hello, and/or come see my book’s AMC session this Sunday at 9:30.

Interesting this doesn't apply to the state's two public R1s. A further example of the increasingly bleak bifurcation of higher ed in the US into the haves and have-nots.

Ooof...not good

This is unfortunately, unsurprising. From my perspective, the best advances in education technology are those that broaden access to traditional learning (e.g., an online course that can best replicate an in-person course). There's just no substitute for traditional old-school learning.

Next was "Major Trade-Offs" by @cmpech.bsky.social, who uses deep qualitative research to crack the foundations of economic skills dogma, showing technical college majors rarely use their acquired skills in their first jobs. Highly recommend Full review: bookwyrm.social/user/bwaber/... (3/5)

The endless dismissal of bad behavior in the name of “being an adult” or “focusing on the things that matter” has become a powerful force enabling Trump. It’s conflict aversion, masquerading as seriousness. Nothing is a distraction, go after all of it.

Being on the EdUp Experience podcast was a blast! If you’re interested in college majors, early careers, and how AI is impacting entry-level hiring/work, check it out! www.edupexperience.com/coreymossper...

"The lesson of our century so far is clear. After a decade book-ended by a once-in-a-generation financial crisis and a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, flagships proved unusually disciplined at solving for both access and excellence."

I’m hiring a postdoc! Flexible in terms of details, but I’m looking for someone to collaborate with on research about labor market inequality. I’ll review applications as they come in and the posting just went up here: apply.interfolio.com/178873

I'll take any excuse to share this article by Gary Shteyngart on the last iteration of Google Glass. I used to require it for my intro students when we covered technology. Unfortunately, it's now too old to be in rotation. It's a great article though! www.newyorker.com/magazine/201...

The New School is ending its BA in Sociology and has paused PhD admissions. When I got my MA there in 2013, it was such an intellectually vibrant place, and without that experience, there is a 0% chance I'd be a professor today—such a shame. www.newschoolfreepress.com/2025/11/26/u...

EdTech research consistently shows that students learn better with pen and paper. This semester I have a no laptop policy in my graduate theory seminar, and I have to say it’s been a complete and total success. Highly recommend.

This is a good thread, but it's important to remember the Roberts court is radically pro-business and always has been. Throughout Roberts' tenure, there's been the occasional "moderate" opinion, but as far as I know, that's never been the case over economic questions.

My article in the Review of Higher Education is live! I show highly "employable" majors pay off for graduates even in the absence of technical skill use. As a result, I advance a conceptual framework that views majors as unique sites of cultural value. Check it out! muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/articl...

Great article on how the AI bubble is just the latest ed tech grift that's part of a "broader effort to snatch away decision-making power over teaching, learning, and research from subject matter and pedagogy experts and give it to donors and administrators."

FSU is hiring 2 APs in spatial data science! Open to any social science discipline, including sociology. This makes at least 5 faculty jobs at FSU this year open to Soc PhDs. Consider applying if you do spatial research! (ad says Geography, but it's open field) jobs.omni.fsu.edu/psc/sprdhr_e...

I had a great time chatting with Andrea Weckerle on The Ready Living podcast about my new book, Major Trade-Offs, and the value of college majors. Check it out if you're interested! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Most trans folks live in the South. #SOGIdata #transdemography

A day late, but in honor of Labor Day, I want to recognize UFF, our incredible union here at FSU. I am thrilled to be part of a unionized faculty, it’s b/c of UFF that the material conditions of my employment are so exceptional. None of it would be possible without labor. Solidarity forever!

I had a blast chatting with Dan Berrett about Major Trade-Offs, and I'm so glad he posted our conversation on @chronicle.com. If you're interested in the relationship between college majors, internships, and entry-level jobs, check it out! www.chronicle.com/newsletter/t...

In my book I argue that liberal arts skills *are* employable skills. Hopefully, more studies like the one below can help us shift the harmful and inaccurate narrative that only technical/vocational majors prepare students for the workforce. theconversation.com/studying-phi...

Happening tomorrow! If you're in the DC area, consider coming out! peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/major-...

Check out my new article in the Journal of Organizational Sociology, where I examine how technology limits the autonomy of entry-level workers. I theorize two subtypes of technical control and discuss its implications for gender inequality www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...

Happening next Tuesday! If you're in the DC area, consider coming down to People's Book for my conversation with Dan Berrett!

Just want to plug @cmpech.bsky.social’s new book Major Trade-Offs that speaks directly to the myths of popular narratives about college majors, needed knowledges & skillsets, & employability.

Sociology friends, FSU is hiring in our Demography area! I'm not on the committee, of course, but if you see me at ASA or want to discuss the job, our department, or higher ed in Florida, I'm happy to chat. t.co/midMVA8fCv

Friends in the DC area - I'll be at People's Book in Takoma Park discussing Major Trade-Offs with Dan Berrett, Senior Editor at The Chronicle of Higher Education, two weeks from today (8/19). Consider coming out; I'd love to see you there! peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/major-...

How are liberal arts grads positioned in today's uncertain job market? 📖Check out @ccfamilies.bsky.social's recent discussion with @aliciamwalker1.bsky.social and @cmpech.bsky.social on his new book, Major Trade-Offs. (Est. read time: 5 min) 🔗 bit.ly/3HfNkUp 🔗

I really enjoyed the wide-ranging conversation I had with Larry on What Happens Next in 6 Minutes. We talked about college majors, internships, and the difference between sociology and economics. Check it out! www.whathappensnextin6minutes.com

It's always such a trip to see my book out in the world. Thanks so much @kojichavez.bsky.social!

Of course, I agree with @jessicacalarco.com about the double-standard, but this sidesteps an important broader point, which is that the right doesn't care about hypocrisy/double-standard because they view themselves as the *only* legitimate constituency in the US.

People rightly criticize Indiana for prioritizing economic interests in higher ed. But even in that frame, I'd argue it's impossible for policymakers to know which job skills will be needed in the future and which specific degree programs will provide them.

I had a blast discussing Major Trade-Offs with @aliciamwalker1.bsky.social for the Council on Contemporary Families blog. Check it out! thesocietypages.org/ccf/

also, my impression from the outside is that cuomo didn’t actually campaign. he just relied on name recognition and paid media. i think voters sensed the entitlement!

I had a fantastic time discussing Major Trade-Offs with Mike Bastedo at @literatibookstore.bsky.social in Ann Arbor. I'm grateful for the engaged conversation with Mike and those who attended, and I was thrilled to sign the author wall! A very cool experience that I won't forget!

If you’re in or around Ann Arbor, don’t forget about @cmpech.bsky.social’s talk tonight at 6:30 about his thought-provoking new book, Major Trade-Offs at @literatibookstore.bsky.social!

Hey friends and colleagues in the Ann Arbor area, consider coming out to Literati Bookstore tomorrow (6/11) at 6:30 PM to see me discuss Major Trade-Offs with UM Professor Mike Bastedo. Link 👇

Hamilton is a great example of art that was so of-the-moment that just 10 years later it feels incredibly passé

The University of Chicago Press celebrates Pride with a reading list featuring recent books. SCREAM/QUEEN by CD Eskilson, a debut poetry collection, uses horror-movie themes to explore the body's traumas and possibilities. #pridemonthreads #lgbtqlit #pridereads

This was a very interesting book. Moss-Pech makes a compelling case that the big major payoffs can't be fully explained by skills, since lots of folks don't use major-specific skills in their early career jobs! Institutionalized pathways from major to good jobs are key. Recommended.

A sad thing about careerism in college is that it's premised on a falsehood. You can major in the liberal arts, have fun in school, and succeed in the labor market. My book, Major Trade-Offs (bit.ly/3RBzZr8), directly takes on this myth and others. www.nytimes.com/2024/09/24/o...

The bottom 60% of U.S. households earn $38K/year on average. To afford a "minimal standard of living," they'd need $67K. "Americans are working harder than ever, but the benefits of that hard work are not being distributed in a way that supports upward mobility.”