noun
overqualified person; educational refugee
A person whose high educational background makes it difficult to find a job matching their qualifications, often leading to underemployment. The term carries a critical or sympathetic tone about the mismatch between education and the labor market.
彼は博士号を持っているのに、学歴難民になってしまった。
Even though he has a PhD, he ended up as an overqualified person unable to find a suitable job.
不況で学歴難民が増えている。
The number of educational refugees is increasing due to the recession.
Compound of 学歴 (academic background) and 難民 (refugee), literally 'educational refugee'. The term likely emerged in the context of Japan's employment struggles for highly educated individuals.