Technical information:    (202) 691-7410      USDL 02-497
                 http://www.bls.gov/nls/
                                              For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                  691-5902      Tuesday, August 27, 2002
                                     
                                     
     NUMBER OF JOBS HELD, LABOR MARKET ACTIVITY, AND EARNINGS GROWTH 
     AMONG YOUNGER BABY BOOMERS:  RESULTS FROM MORE THAN TWO DECADES 
                       OF A LONGITUDINAL SURVEY
     
     
   The average person born in the later years of the baby boom held nearly
10 jobs from ages 18 to 36, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of
the U.S. Department of Labor.  More than two-thirds of these jobs were held
in the first half of the period, from ages 18 to 27.
   
   These findings are from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979,
a survey of 9,964 young men and women who were ages 14 to 22 when first
interviewed in 1979 and ages 35 to 43 when interviewed most recently in
2000.  These respondents were born in the years 1957 to 1964, the later
years of the "baby boom" that occurred in the United States from 1946 to
1964.  The survey spans over two decades and provides information on work
and nonwork experiences, training, schooling, income and assets, health
conditions, and other characteristics.  The information provided by
respondents, who were interviewed annually from 1979 to 1994 and biennially
since 1994, can be considered representative of all men and women born in
the late 1950s and early 1960s and living in the United States when the
survey began in 1979.
     
   This release focuses on the number of jobs held and job duration, labor
force participation, earnings growth, and promotions.  Highlights from the
survey include:

     --Persons born from 1957 to 1964 held an average of 9.6 jobs from ages
  18 to 36.  These baby boomers held an average of 4.4 jobs while ages 18 to
  22.  The average fell to 3.2 jobs while ages 23 to 27, to 2.6 jobs while
  ages 28 to 32, and to 2.0 jobs from ages 33 to 36.  Jobs that span more
  than one age group were counted once in each age group, so the average
  number of jobs held from age 18 to age 36 is less than the sum of the
  number of jobs across the individual age groups.

     --The average individual was employed during nearly 76 percent of the
  weeks occurring from age 18 to age 36.  Generally, men spent a larger
  percent of weeks employed than did women (83 percent versus 68 percent).
  Women spent much more time out of the labor force (27 percent of weeks)
  than did men (11 percent of weeks).

     --The annual percent growth in inflation-adjusted hourly earnings was
  fastest from ages 18 to 22.  Growth rates in earnings generally were higher
  for those who obtained more education.

     --About 1 in 5 individuals ages 35 to 43 in 2000 reported that they had
  received a promotion from their employer between 1997 and 1999.

Number of Jobs Held

   Individuals held an average of 9.6 jobs from age 18 to age 36, with
over two-thirds of the jobs being held before age 28.  In this report, 
a job is defined as an uninterrupted period of work with a particular
employer.  (See the Explanatory Note for additional information on the
definition of a job.)  On average, men held 9.9 jobs and women held 9.3
jobs from age 18 to age 36.  Men held 4.5 jobs from age 18 to age 22, but
only 2.1 jobs from age 33 to age 36.  The reduction in the number of jobs
held in successive age groups was similar for women.  (See table 1.)
   
                                  - 2 -
   
   Differences in the number of jobs held also are apparent between race
and ethnic groups.  From age 18 to age 36, whites held more jobs than
either blacks or Hispanics.  The difference is most pronounced at younger
ages; whites held 4.6 jobs from ages 18 to 22, compared with 3.6 jobs for
blacks and 4.0 jobs for Hispanics.  These racial differences nearly dis-
appeared at older ages.  From ages 33 to 36, whites, blacks, and Hispanics 
all held an average of about 2.0 jobs.
     
Duration of Employment Relationships

   The length of time a worker remains with the same employer increases
with the age at which the worker began the job.  Of the jobs that workers
began when they were ages 18 to 22, 72 percent of those jobs ended in less
than a year, and 94 percent ended in fewer than 5 years.  Only about 
2 percent of the jobs that workers began when ages 18 to 22 were still held
by those workers at the time of the 2000 survey, when the survey participants 
were ages 35 to 43.  Among jobs started by workers when they were ages 28 to 
32, 52 percent ended in less than a year, and 85 percent ended in fewer than 
5 years; 10 percent of those jobs continued at the time of the 2000 survey.  
(See table 2.)
   
   Although job duration tends to be longer the older a worker is when
starting the job, these baby boomers continued to have large numbers of
short-duration jobs even as they approached middle age.  Among jobs started
by workers when they were ages 33 to 36, 43 percent ended in the first
year, and 76 percent ended in fewer than 5 years.

Percent of Weeks Employed, Unemployed, and Not in the Labor Force
     
   On average, the baby boomers represented by the survey were employed
during 76 percent of all the weeks occurring from age 18 to age 36.  They
were unemployed--that is, without jobs but actively seeking work--5 percent
of the weeks.  They were not in the labor force--that is, neither working
nor seeking work--19 percent of the weeks.  (See table 3.)
   
   The amount of time spent employed differs substantially between educa-
tional-attainment groups, especially among blacks and Hispanics.  Blacks with 
less than a high school diploma (as of the 2000 survey) spent 48 percent of 
weeks employed, while black high school graduates spent 62 percent of weeks 
employed.  Hispanic high school dropouts spent 60 percent of weeks employed, 
compared with 71 percent of weeks for Hispanic high school graduates.  White 
high school dropouts spent 68 percent of weeks employed, and white high 
school graduates spent 78 percent of weeks employed.  Among college graduates, 
there was little difference between racial and ethnic groups in labor market 
attachment.  Black, Hispanic, and white college graduates all spent about 
80 percent of weeks employed.
   
   The amount of time spent in the labor force also differs by sex, with
women at every educational level and at every age spending fewer weeks in
the labor force than men.  Men with less than a high school diploma spent
75 percent of weeks employed from age 18 to age 36.  These men also spent
10 percent of weeks unemployed.  By comparison, women with less than a high
school diploma spent just 46 percent of weeks employed and 6 percent of
weeks unemployed from age 18 to age 36.  The differences between men and
women in labor force attachment were much smaller among those with a
bachelor's degree or more, but men still spent a larger proportion of weeks
employed than did women (83 percent versus 78 percent).
   
   Labor force attachment is related to age for both men and women, with
the percent of weeks employed increasing and the percent of weeks
unemployed or not in the labor force falling as individuals grow older.
From ages 18 to 22, men spent 21 percent of weeks out of the labor force,
and women spent 32 percent of weeks out of the labor force.  This age range
is a period when large proportions of men and women attend college or
receive vocational training, and, as a result, they spend less time in the
labor force than they eventually will.  Indeed, when these same men reached
ages 23 to 27, they spent only 8 percent of weeks out of the labor force.
(See table 4.)
   
                                  - 3 -      
   
   Like men, women were more likely to participate in the labor force as
they aged, but the reduction in the percent of weeks spent out of the labor
force was much smaller among women than among men.  In fact, after age 22,
women spent, on average, three times as many weeks out of the labor force
as men of their same generation.  From ages 23 to 27, women spent 26 percent 
of weeks out of the labor force, the same percent of weeks spent out of the 
labor force when these women were ages 28 to 32 and little different from 
the 24 percent of weeks that women spent out of the labor force when they 
were ages 33 to 36.

Percent Growth in Real Earnings

   The inflation-adjusted earnings of workers in the survey increased most
rapidly while they were young.  From the ages of 18 to 22, hourly earnings
grew an average of 6.7 percent per year.  The earnings growth rate slowed
to 4.9 percent annually from age 23 to age 27, then to 2.7 percent annually
from age 28 to age 32.  From ages 32 to 36, however, average annual wage
growth increased to 3.8 percent.  This pattern in earnings growth reflects,
in part, the state of the U.S. economy during the years in which survey
participants were in each age group.  In every age category, growth rates
in inflation-adjusted hourly earnings generally were higher for workers
with more education.  (See table 5.)

Promotions

   About 21 percent of employed individuals reported during the 2000
survey that they had received a promotion from an employer at some point
from 1997 to 1999.  Overall, men were slightly more likely than women to
have received a promotion.  Education was an important factor in the
likelihood of men receiving a promotion.  Seventeen percent of male high
school dropouts received a promotion from 1997 to 1999, while 22 percent of
men with some college and 32 percent of male college graduates received a
promotion.  Among women, high school dropouts were less likely than women
in other educational categories to have received a promotion, but there was
little difference between high school graduates, those with some college,
and college graduates in the likelihood of receiving a promotion.  (See
table 6.)
   
   Whites, blacks, and Hispanics were about equally likely to have
received a promotion from 1997 to 1999, but there were differences within
educational-attainment groups.  Among workers with less than a high school
diploma, blacks were less likely than Hispanics or whites to have received
a promotion.  Among college graduates, however, 30 percent of blacks had
received promotions, compared with 28 percent of Hispanics and 25 percent
of whites.
   
                      ______________________________

     
   A Portable Document Format (PDF) version of this news release is
available online at http://www.bls.gov/nls/.
   
   
   

Explanatory Note
  
  
  
  The estimates in this release were obtained using data from the first 
19 rounds of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79).  This
survey is conducted by the Center for Human Resource Research at The Ohio
State University and the National Opinion Research Center at the University
of Chicago under the direction and sponsorship of the U.S. Department of
Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Sample
  
  The NLSY79 is a nationally representative sample of 12,686 young men and
women who were 14 to 22 years of age when first surveyed in 1979.  This
survey sample was initially composed of three subsamples:
  
   --A cross-sectional sample of 6,111 youths that was designed to represent 
the noninstitutionalized, civilian population of young people living in the 
U.S. in 1979 and born between Jan. 1, 1957, and Dec. 31, 1964
   
   --A supplemental sample of 5,295 youths designed to oversample noninstitu-
tionalized, civilian black, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged nonblack, 
non-Hispanic youths living in the U.S. in 1979 and born between Jan. 1, 1957, 
and Dec. 31, 1964
   
   --A military sample of 1,280 youths born between Jan. 1, 1957, and Dec.
31, 1961, and enlisted in the Army, Air Force, Navy, or Marine Corps as of
September 30, 1978
  
  In 1985, the military sample was discontinued, and, in 1991, the economi-
cally disadvantaged nonblack, non-Hispanic youths were dropped from the 
supplemental sample.  As a result, the NLSY79 sample now includes 9,964 in-
dividuals from the cross-sectional sample and the black and Hispanic supple-
mental samples.  (This sample size is not adjusted for sample members who 
have died.)
  
  Individuals were surveyed annually from 1979 to 1994 and biennially
since 1994.  In 2000, 8,033 individuals responded to the survey, for a
retention rate of 81 percent.  Only these individuals are included in the
estimates in this release.  All results are weighted using the 2000 survey
weights that correct for the oversampling, interview nonresponse, and per-
manent attrition from the survey.  When weighted, the estimates represent 
all persons born in the years 1957 to 1964 and living in the U.S. when the 
survey began in 1979.  Not represented by the survey are U.S. immigrants 
who were born from 1957 to 1964 and moved to the United States after 1979.

Work history data
  
  The total number of jobs that people hold during their work life is an
easy concept to understand but a difficult one to measure.  Reliable esti-
mates require a survey that interviews the same people over the course
of their entire work life and also keeps track of all the jobs they ever
held.  The NLSY79 tracks the number of jobs that people have held, but the
respondents in this survey are still relatively young, ages 35 to 43 in
2000, and have many years of work life ahead of them.  As the cohort con-
tinues to age, however, more complete information will become available.
  
  A unique feature of the NLSY79 is that it collects the beginning and
ending dates of all jobs held by a respondent so that a longitudinal
history can be constructed of each respondent's work experiences.  The
NLSY79 work history data provide a week-by-week work record of each
respondent from Jan. 1, 1978, through the most recent survey date.  These
data contain information on the respondent's labor force status each week,
the usual hours worked per week at all jobs, and earnings for all jobs.  
If a respondent worked at more than one job in any week, hours and earnings
are obtained for up to four additional jobs.  When a respondent who missed
one or more consecutive survey rounds is interviewed again, he is asked to
provide information about all time since the last interview.

Interaction between time and age in a longitudinal survey
  
  Because the NLSY79 is a longitudinal survey, meaning the same people are
surveyed over time, the ages of the respondents change with each survey
round.  It is important to keep in mind this inherent link between the
calendar years and the ages of the respondents.  For example, table 5 re-
ports earnings growth from age 23 to age 27.  The youngest respondents in
the sample (birth year 1964) were these ages during 1987-92, whereas the
oldest respondents (birth year 1957) were these ages during 1980-85.
  
  Although participants in the NLSY79 were ages 35 to 43 during the 2000
interviews, tables 1-5 of this release cover only the period while the
respondents were ages 18 to 36.  The reason for not including older ages 
in these tables is that the sample sizes were still too small to provide
statistically reliable estimates for age groups older than 36.  As the
NLSY79 continues to be administered and the respondents age, subsequent
rounds of the survey will enable analyses to be conducted for older age
groups.
  
  As with age, the educational attainment of individuals may change from
year to year.  In the tables and analysis presented in this report, edu-
cational attainment is defined as of the 2000 survey.  This definition
is used even when data on age and educational attainment are presented
together.  For example, table 1 reports the number of jobs held during
different age categories.  Suppose that a respondent had completed a
bachelor's degree at age 28.  That respondent would be included in the
"Bachelor's degree or more" educational category in all age categories
shown on the table, even though he or she did not have a bachelor's 
degree at any point from age 18 to age 27.

Definitions
  
  Job.  A job is defined as an uninterrupted period of work with a
particular employer.  Jobs are therefore employer-based, not position-
based.  If a respondent indicates that he or she left a job but in a
subsequent survey returned to the same job, it is counted as a new job.
For example, if an individual worked in a retail establishment during the
summer, quit at the end of summer to return to school, and then resumed
working for the same employer the following spring, this sequence would
count as two jobs, rather than one.  For self-employed workers, each "new"
job is defined by the individuals themselves.
  
  Unemployment.  If respondents indicate a gap between employers, they are
asked how many of those weeks they spent searching for employment or on
layoff.  For that number of weeks, they are considered unemployed.  For the
remaining weeks, they are coded as not in the labor force.  No probing for
intensity of job search is done.
  
  Usual earnings.  Respondents can report earnings over any time frame
(hour, day, week, month, year).  For those who do not report an hourly
wage, one is constructed using usual hours worked over that time frame.
Wages greater than $100 per hour and less than $1 per hour were not in-
cluded in the analysis of earnings growth because the reported earnings
levels were almost certainly in error.  For the same reason, individuals
who had inflation-adjusted earnings growth greater than 100 percent were
not included in the analysis.  These exclusions from the analysis af-
fected 358 respondents.
  
  Promotions.  Respondents are asked a series of questions about promotions 
received from all employers.  In particular, respondents are asked if they 
had been promoted by an employer since they began working for that employer 
or since the date of the last interview, whichever is more recent.  These 
statistics are self-reported by the respondents.
  
  Race and ethnic groups.  In this release, the findings are reported for
non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and Hispanics.  These three
groups are mutually exclusive but not exhaustive.  Other race groups, which
are included in the overall totals, are not shown separately because their
representation in the survey sample is not sufficiently large to provide
statistically reliable estimates.  In other BLS publications, estimates
usually are published for whites, blacks, and Hispanics, but these groups
are not mutually exclusive.  The term "Hispanic" is considered to be an
ethnic group, and Hispanics can be of any race.  Most other BLS publications 
include Hispanics in the white and black race groups in addition to the 
Hispanic ethnic group.
  
  Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request.  Voice phone:  202-691-5200; TDD message referral
phone:  1-800-877-8339.
   
   
      Table 1.  Number of jobs held by individuals from age 18 to age 36 in 1978-2000 by 
educational attainment, sex, race, Hispanic ethnicity, and age

                                         Average number of jobs for persons ages 18 to 36 
              Characteristic                                in 1978 - 2000
                              
                                          Total(1)   Ages 18   Ages 23  Ages 28   Ages 33
                                                      to 22     to 27    to 32     to 36

Total .....................................  9.6       4.4       3.2      2.6       2.0
  Less than a high school diploma .........  9.7       4.0       3.1      2.6       2.0
  High school graduates, no college .......  9.2       4.1       3.0      2.6       2.0
  Less than a bachelor's degree ........... 10.0       4.5       3.0      2.7       2.1
  Bachelor's degree or more ............... 10.0       5.0       3.5      2.6       1.9

Men .......................................  9.9       4.5       3.4      2.8       2.1
  Less than a high school diploma ......... 11.1       4.7       3.7      3.0       2.1
  High school graduates, no college .......  9.6       4.4       3.4      2.8       2.0
  Less than a bachelor's degree ........... 10.5       4.7       3.5      2.9       2.2
  Bachelor's degree or more ...............  9.5       4.6       3.4      2.5       2.0

Women .....................................  9.3       4.3       3.0      2.4       1.9
  Less than a high school diploma .........  7.8       3.0       2.3      2.1       1.7
  High school graduates, no college .......  8.7       3.9       3.0      2.4       2.0
  Less than a bachelor's degree ...........  9.5       4.4       3.2      2.5       2.0
  Bachelor's degree or more ............... 10.6       5.4       3.7      2.6       1.8

White non-Hispanic ........................  9.8       4.6       3.3      2.6       2.0
  Less than a high school diploma ......... 10.3       4.3       3.3      2.7       2.1
  High school graduates, no college .......  9.2       4.3       3.1      2.6       2.0
  Less than a bachelor's degree ........... 10.3       4.7       3.5      2.7       2.1
  Bachelor's degree or more ............... 10.0       5.1       3.5      2.6       1.9

Black non-Hispanic ........................  9.1       3.6       3.1      2.7       2.0
  Less than a high school diploma .........  8.3       2.8       2.7      2.5       1.7
  High school graduates, no college .......  9.2       3.5       3.0      2.7       2.1
  Less than a bachelor's degree ...........  9.0       3.8       3.1      2.6       2.1
  Bachelor's degree or more ............... 10.0       4.4       3.7      2.8       2.2

Hispanic ..................................  8.9       4.0       3.0      2.5       1.9
  Less than a high school diploma .........  9.2       3.8       2.9      2.4       1.9
  High school graduates, no college .......  8.7       3.9       2.9      2.5       1.9
  Less than a bachelor's degree ...........  8.8       4.1       3.0      2.4       1.8
  Bachelor's degree or more ...............  9.4       4.3       3.2      2.7       2.0

   
   1 Jobs that were held in more than one of the age categories were counted in each 
appropriate column, but only once in the total column.
   NOTE:  The first two columns exclude individuals who turned age 18 before Jan. 1, 1978.  
The first and last columns exclude individuals who had not yet turned age 37 when interviewed 
in 2000.
   The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 consists of men and women who were born 
in the years 1957-64 and were ages 14 to 22 when first interviewed in 1979.  These 
individuals were ages 35 to 43 in 2000.  Educational attainment is defined as of the 2000 
survey.  Race and Hispanic ethnicity groups are mutually exclusive but not exhaustive.  
Other race groups, which  are included in the overall totals, are not shown separately 
because their representation in the survey sample is not sufficiently large to provide 
statistically reliable estimates.
   
   
   

Table 2.  Duration of employment relationships with a single employer for all jobs
started from age 18 to age 36 by persons born in the years 1957-64 and living in the
United States in 1979, by age at start of job, sex, race, and Hispanic ethnicity

                       Cumulative percent distribution of duration of completed
   Age at the start                      employment relationships
      of job and
   characteristic                                                             Percent
                     Less than   Less than  Less than  Less than   Less than  of jobs
                      1 year      2 years    5 years   10 years    15 years   ongoing
                                                                              in 2000

Ages 18 to 22 ......... 72.2       84.8        93.9      96.9        97.7       1.9                     
                                                                        
  Men ................. 72.6       84.9        93.6      96.8        97.6       2.1                     
  Women ............... 72.6       84.7        94.1      97.0        97.9       1.7                     
                                                                        
  White non-Hispanic .. 71.8       84.6        93.7      96.8        97.6       2.0                     
  Black non-Hispanic .. 75.2       87.0        95.1      97.7        98.4       1.4
  Hispanic ............ 71.0       83.4        93.0      97.0        97.8       1.9                     
                                                                        
Ages 23 to 27 ......... 59.3       75.7        88.5      93.7        95.0       4.9                     
                                                
  Men ................. 59.6       75.9        87.8      92.9        94.5       5.4
  Women ............... 58.9       75.5        89.3      94.5        95.7       4.2
                                                
  White non-Hispanic .. 58.4       74.9        88.0      93.4        94.9       5.1
  Black non-Hispanic .. 63.3       79.2        90.9      95.0        94.9       4.0
  Hispanic ............ 59.8       76.6        88.8      93.7        95.0       5.0
                                                
Ages 28 to 32 ......... 51.8       68.6        84.7      89.6        89.9      10.0
                                                
  Men ................. 52.1       68.5        84.2      88.7        89.1      10.9
  Women ............... 51.5       68.7        85.2      90.6        90.9       9.1
                                                
  White non-Hispanic .. 50.4       67.2        83.8      89.0        89.3      10.7
  Black non-Hispanic .. 57.7       74.8        88.2      92.1        92.5       7.5
  Hispanic ............ 53.1       69.5        85.2      90.4        90.8       9.2
                                                        
Ages 33 to 36 ......... 43.2       59.9        76.2       (1)         (1)      21.8     

  Men ................. 41.9       59.6        75.4       (1)         (1)      22.6     
  Women ............... 44.6       60.2        76.9       (1)         (1)      21.1     
                                                        
  White non-Hispanic .. 41.6       58.1        75.2       (1)         (1)      22.9     
  Black non-Hispanic .. 49.4       66.7        80.3       (1)         (1)      17.8     
  Hispanic ............ 45.8       62.1        77.2       (1)         (1)      20.4     
                                             
                                                        
   1 Estimates are not presented for these categories because most sample members were
not yet old enough at the time of the 2000 survey to have completed jobs of these durations.    
   NOTE:  The age category of 18 to 22 excludes individuals who turned age 18 before 
Jan. 1, 1978.                                                   
   The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 consists of men and women who were born 
in the years 1957-64 and were ages 14 to 22 when first interviewed in 1979.  These 
individuals were ages 35 to 43 in 2000.  Race and Hispanic ethnicity groups are 
mutually exclusive but not exhaustive.  Other race groups, which are included in the
overall totals, are not shown separately because their representation in the survey 
sample is not sufficiently large to provide statistically reliable estimates.                                                   
   
   
   

Table 3.  Percent of weeks individuals were employed, unemployed, or not in the labor force from 
age 18 to age 36 in 1978-2000 by educational attainment, sex, race, and Hispanic ethnicity

                                                 Percent of total weeks while ages
                                                        18 to 36 in 1978-2000 
               Characteristic
                                                                                Not in
                                             Employed        Unemployed         labor
                                                                                force

Total, ages 18 to 36 in 1978-2000 ............ 75.7              5.1             18.8   
  Less than a high school diploma ............ 62.9              8.5             28.2   
  High school graduates, no college .......... 75.3              5.8             18.4   
  Less than a bachelor's degree .............. 78.2              4.5             16.7   
  Bachelor's degree or more .................. 80.2              2.8             16.7   
                                                                
Men .......................................... 82.8              5.7             11.0   
  Less than a high school diploma ............ 75.3             10.2              4.0   
  High school graduates, no college .......... 83.6              6.2              9.4   
  Less than a bachelor's degree .............. 86.3              4.7              8.6   
  Bachelor's degree or more .................. 82.7              3.0             14.0   
                                
Women ........................................ 68.4              4.5             26.7   
  Less than a high school diploma ............ 45.6              6.3             47.8   
  High school graduates, no college .......... 66.5              5.2             27.9   
  Less than a bachelor's degree .............. 71.5              4.3             23.5   
  Bachelor's degree or more .................. 77.6              2.6             19.5   
                                
White non-Hispanic ........................... 78.1              4.2             17.2   
  Less than a high school diploma ............ 67.9              7.8             23.9   
  High school graduates, no college .......... 78.4              4.7             16.4   
  Less than a bachelor's degree .............. 79.7              3.7             16.2   
  Bachelor's degree or more .................. 80.3              2.7             16.8   
                                
Black non-Hispanic ........................... 65.4              9.8             24.3   
  Less than a high school diploma ............ 48.4             12.5             38.6   
  High school graduates, no college .......... 62.3             11.3             25.8   
  Less than a bachelor's degree .............. 73.0              8.2             18.2   
  Bachelor's degree or more .................. 79.4              4.5             15.7   
                                
Hispanic ..................................... 71.0              5.4             23.1   
  Less than a high school diploma ............ 60.1              7.9             31.5   
  High school graduates, no college .......... 70.6              5.5             23.3   
  Less than a bachelor's degree .............. 77.5              3.9             18.0   
  Bachelor's degree or more .................. 80.0              3.1             16.3   
                                
                                
   NOTE:  This table excludes individuals who turned age 18 before Jan. 1, 1978, 
or who had not yet turned age 37 when interviewed in 2000.                                      
   Totals do not add to 100 percent due to a small number of respondents whose 
employment status cannot be determined for all weeks.                                   
   The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 consists of men and women who 
were born in the years 1957-64 and were ages 14 to 22 when first interviewed 
in 1979.  These individuals were ages 35 to 43 in 2000.  Educational attainment is
defined as of the 2000 survey.  Race and Hispanic ethnicity groups are mutually
exclusive but not exhaustive.  Other race groups, which are included in the overall
totals, are not shown separately because their representation in the survey sample 
is not sufficiently large to provide statistically reliable estimates.                                  
   
   
   

Table 4.  Percent of weeks individuals were employed, unemployed, or not in the labor force 
from age 18 to age 36 in 1978-2000 by age, sex, race, and Hispanic ethnicity

                                                           Percent of total weeks 
                                                           
             Age and characteristic                                                Not in
                                                     Employed      Unemployed      labor
                                                                                   force

Total, ages 18 to 36 in 1978-2000(1).................. 75.7            5.1          18.8
  Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1987(2) ...................... 64.4            8.8          26.4
  Ages 23 to 27 in 1983-1992 ......................... 77.1            5.5          17.0
  Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1997 ......................... 79.2            3.8          16.4
  Ages 33 to 36 in 1990-2000(3) ...................... 81.2            3.1          15.3
                        
Men, ages 18 to 36 in 1978-2000(1) ................... 82.8            5.7          11.0
  Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1987(2)....................... 68.7            9.9          20.9
  Ages 23 to 27 in 1983-1992 ......................... 84.8            6.4           8.2
  Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1997 ......................... 87.9            4.2           7.2
  Ages 33 to 36 in 1990-2000(3) ...................... 89.2            3.4           7.0
                        
Women, ages 18 to 36 in 1978-2000(1) ................. 68.4            4.5          26.7
  Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1987(2) ...................... 59.9            7.6          32.1
  Ages 23 to 27 in 1983-1992 ......................... 69.0            4.5          26.1
  Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1997 ......................... 70.2            3.4          25.9
  Ages 33 to 36 in 1990-2000(3) ...................... 73.0            2.8          23.8
                        
White non-Hispanic, ages 18 to 36 in 1978-2000(1) .... 78.1            4.2          17.2
  Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1987(2) ...................... 67.4            7.6          24.5
  Ages 23 to 27 in 1983-1992 ......................... 79.5            4.6          15.5
  Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1997 ......................... 81.3            3.1          15.0
  Ages 33 to 36 in 1990-2000(3) ...................... 83.1            2.5          14.0
                        
Black non-Hispanic, ages 18 to 36 in 1978-2000(1) .... 65.4            9.8          24.3
  Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1987(2) ...................... 51.3           14.8          33.6
  Ages 23 to 27 in 1983-1992 ......................... 67.2           10.3          22.0
  Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1997 ......................... 70.4            7.5          21.3
  Ages 33 to 36 in 1990-20003 ........................ 73.1            6.2          20.3
                        
Hispanic, ages 18 to 36 in 1978-2000(1) .............. 71.0            5.4          23.1
  Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1987(2) ...................... 60.4            9.2          30.0
  Ages 23 to 27 in 1983-1992 ......................... 71.3            6.0          22.0
  Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1997 ......................... 74.3            4.3          20.5
  Ages 33 to 36 in 1990-2000(3) ...................... 76.9            3.7          18.4
                        
                        
   1 This category excludes individuals who turned age 18 before Jan. 1, 1978, or who had 
not yet turned age 37 when interviewed in 2000.                 
   2 This category excludes individuals who turned age 18 before Jan. 1, 1978.                        
   3 This category excludes individuals who had not yet turned age 37 when interviewed 
in 2000.                        
   NOTE:  Totals do not add to 100 percent due to a small number of respondents whose 
employment status cannot be determined for all weeks.                   
   The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 consists of men and women who were born 
in the years 1957-64 and were ages 14 to 22 when first interviewed in 1979.  These 
individuals were ages 35 to 43 in 2000.  Race and Hispanic ethnicity groups are mutually 
exclusive but not exhaustive.  Other race groups, which are included in the overall 
totals, are not shown separately because their representation in the survey sample is not
sufficiently large to provide statistically reliable estimates.                 
                              
   
   

   
   

Table 5.  Average annual percent growth in inflation-adjusted hourly earnings from 1978
to 2000 by educational attainment, sex, race, Hispanic ethnicity, and age

                                        Average annual percent growth in hourly earnings
             Characteristic              
                                           Ages 18     Ages 23     Ages 28     Ages 33
                                            to 22       to 27       to 32       to 36

Total .....................................  6.7         4.9         2.7         3.8
  Less than a high school diploma  ........  5.4         2.2         1.1         4.3
  High school graduates, no college  ......  5.8         3.1         2.1         3.1
  Less than a bachelor's degree  ..........  6.4         4.8         2.5         3.6
  Bachelor's degree or more ...............  9.0         9.2         4.6         4.9
                                
Men .......................................  6.7         5.5         2.8         3.8
  Less than a high school diploma .........  4.4         2.8         1.0         3.2
  High school graduates, no college ........ 6.5         3.7         1.7         2.8
  Less than a bachelor's degree ............ 7.1         5.6         2.8         3.6
  Bachelor's degree or more ................ 8.2        10.3         5.6         5.9
                                
Women ...................................... 6.8         4.2         2.7         3.7
  Less than a high school diploma .......... 7.4         0.8         1.4         6.1
  High school graduates, no college ........ 5.1         2.4         2.6         3.3
  Less than a bachelor's degree ............ 5.9         4.1         2.3         3.6
  Bachelor's degree or more ................ 9.8         8.0         3.5         3.7
                                
White non-Hispanic ......................... 7.1         5.1         2.8         3.9
  Less than a high school diploma .......... 6.4         2.2         1.0         5.2
  High school graduates, no college ........ 5.8         3.0         2.2         3.2
  Less than a bachelor's degree ............ 6.7         5.1         2.4         3.5
  Bachelor's degree or more ................ 9.2         9.2         4.6         5.0
                                
Black non-Hispanic ......................... 5.1         4.1         2.4         3.7
  Less than a high school diploma .......... 2.9         2.3         1.0         2.2
  High school graduates, no college ........ 5.2         3.6         1.8         3.4
  Less than a bachelor's degree ............ 5.1         3.7         2.8         4.5
  Bachelor's degree or more ................ 7.2         9.1         5.1         4.0
                                
Hispanic ................................... 6.5         3.4         2.3         2.7
  Less than a high school diploma .......... 3.3         2.9         0.8         2.2
  High school graduates, no college ........ 7.7         2.3         1.9         1.2
  Less than a bachelor's degree ............ 6.5         3.3         3.2         3.2
  Bachelor's degree or more ................ 8.3         8.1         3.8         6.8

                                
   NOTE:  The first column excludes individuals who turned age 18 before 1978.  The 
last column excludes individuals who were not yet age 37 when interviewed in 2000.                              
   The CPI-U-X1 (research index) was used to adjust hourly earnings to 2000 dollars, 
prior to calculating the growth rates.                          
   The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 consists of men and women who were 
born in the years 1957-64 and were ages 14 to 22 when first interviewed in 1979.  These
individuals were age 35 to 43 in 2000.  Educational attainment is defined as of the 2000
survey.  Race and Hispanic ethnicity groups are mutually exclusive but not exhaustive.  
Other race groups, which are included in the overall totals, are not shown separately because
their representation in the survey sample is not sufficiently large to provide statistically
reliable estimates.     
   
   
   

Table 6.  Percent of employed individuals ages 35 to 43 in 2000 who were promoted by 
their employer from 1997 to 1999, by educational attainment, sex, race, and Hispanic 
ethnicity
                                                    Percent who
                  Characteristic                   were promoted,
                                                     1997-1999

Total .........................................         21.4
  Less than a high school diploma .............         15.3
  High school graduates, no college ...........         20.8
  Less than a bachelor's degree ...............         20.7
  Bachelor's degree or more ...................         25.8
        
Men ...........................................         22.8
  Less than a high school diploma .............         16.5
  High school graduates, no college ...........         19.8
  Less than a bachelor's degree ...............         21.8
  Bachelor's degree or more ...................         32.3
        
Women .........................................         19.8
  Less than a high school diploma .............         13.2
  High school graduates, no college ...........         21.9
  Less than a bachelor's degree ...............         19.8
  Bachelor's degree or more ...................         18.7
        
White non-Hispanic ............................         21.3
  Less than a high school diploma .............         16.7
  High school graduates, no college ...........         20.9
  Less than a bachelor's degree ...............         19.2
  Bachelor's degree or more ...................         25.2
        
Black non-Hispanic ............................         21.5
  Less than a high school diploma .............         10.2    
  High school graduates, no college ...........         20.6    
  Less than a bachelor's degree ...............         24.6    
  Bachelor's degree or more ...................         29.9    
                
Hispanic ......................................         22.0    
  Less than a high school diploma .............         16.0    
  High school graduates, no college ...........         21.0    
  Less than a bachelor's degree ...............         25.2    
  Bachelor's degree or more ...................         27.5    
                

   NOTE:  Since 1994, respondents have been asked if they have been promoted 
by an employer since starting to work for the employer or since the date of the
last interview, whichever is more recent.               
   The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 consists of men and women who were 
born in the years 1957-64 and were ages 14 to 22 when first interviewed in 1979.  
These individuals were ages 35 to 43 in 2000.  Educational attainment is defined as of 
the 2000 survey.  Race and Hispanic ethnicity groups are mutually exclusive but not 
exhaustive.  Other race groups, which are included in the overall totals, are not shown 
separately because their representation in the survey sample is not sufficiently large 
to provide statistically reliable estimates.