I feel like I am missing something in this discussion.  According to the AAM recent survey of over 4000 currently employed museum professionals, here is the education demographic breakdown:

7.7% High school 

The above suggests to me that having a BA or MA is where the action is at in terms of museum employment.  I routinely advise students that unless they want to teach there is little reason for them to continue on for a PhD.  I am often amazed at the false information students use to justify the need for getting a PhD (e.g., can't apply for a grant without a PhD, most people with good museum jobs have a PhD, more employable with a PhD, etc. etc.)  In fact curators and directors of publication were the only job classes in the AAM survey where over 10% had PhDs.  

I teach in a Graduate Certificate Program (M.A. plus certificate).  Coincidentally we were going through our alums last week seeing who was employed.  I don't have the figures in front of me, but we were all surprised that a very high number of our grads are employed today, including recent grads.  A key seems to their employment is flexibility in building a career.  In the past I used Elizabeth Schalatter's book on Museum Careers - it is very linear - here is what a curator does, exhibit designer, etc. etc.  More recently Burdick's Creative Careers in Museums is much more about the entanglement and cross–over in museum positions today.  

I will also note that I hired for two museum positions (administrative/interpretive) in the last three years and although we had over 70 applications each time, in neither case did more than four of the applicants have any museum experience or course work.

So yes, unemployment is high.  By occupation, I suspect Museum folks are actually faring quite a bit better than most (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t13.htm).  

My Egyptology colleagues are unanimous – there are very few jobs for Egyptologists.  I had dinner last night with a board certified forensic anthropologist – a heavy hitter in the field.  On her web page (http://inside.msj.edu/academics/faculty/murraye/Careers_in_Forensics.html) she announces that regardless of how much you want to emulate the CSI TV shows in your careers, there are few of those jobs.  A student is well advised to review the career opportunities in museums through the AAM job board, Museum-L, AAMG-L. and others to see what jobs are actually open these days.  I tend to have very fruitful advising sessions with students who couple their career interests with the current availability or trajectory of museum employment possibilities.  

My .02

Robert

To unsubscribe from the MUSEUM-L list, click the following link:
http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-HOME.exe?SUBED1=MUSEUM-L&A=1