For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, July 25, 2012 USDL-12-1489 

Technical information: (202) 691-7410 • nls_info@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/nls 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov 

NUMBER OF JOBS HELD, LABOR MARKET ACTIVITY, AND

EARNINGS GROWTH AMONG THE YOUNGEST BABY BOOMERS:

RESULTS FROM A LONGITUDINAL SURVEY

The average person born in the latter years of the baby boom (1957-1964) held 11.3 jobs from age 18 to 

age 46, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nearly half of these jobs were held from ages 

18 to 24. 

These findings are from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979; a survey of 9,964 men and 

women who were ages 14 to 22 when first interviewed in 1979 and ages 45 to 53 when interviewed 

most recently in 2010-11. These respondents were born in the years 1957 to 1964, the latter years of the 

"baby boom" that occurred in the United States from 1946 to 1964. The survey spans more than 3 

decades and provides information on work and nonwork experiences, education, training, income and 

assets, health, 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 of the latest data from the longitudinal survey focuses on the number of jobs held, job 

duration, labor force participation, and earnings growth. Highlights from the survey include: 

 Individuals born from 1957 to 1964 held an average of 11.3 jobs from ages 18 to 46. These baby 

boomers held an average of 5.5 jobs while ages 18 to 24. The average fell to 3 jobs from ages 25 

to 29, to 2.4 jobs from ages 30 to 34, and to 2.1 jobs from ages 35 to 39 and also from ages 40 to 

46. Jobs that span more than one age group were counted once in each age group, so the overall 

average number of jobs held from age 18 to age 46 is less than the sum of the number of jobs 

across the individual age groups. 

 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 at middle age. Among jobs 

started by 40 to 46 year olds, 33 percent ended in less than a year, and 69 percent ended in less 

than 5 years. 

 The average person was employed during 78 percent of the weeks from age 18 to age 46. 

Generally, men spent a larger percent of weeks employed than did women (84 versus 71 
- 2 - 

percent). Women spent much more time out of the labor force (25 percent of weeks) than did 

men (10 percent of weeks). 

 The average annual percent growth in inflation-adjusted hourly earnings was fastest when 

workers were in their late teens and early twenties. Growth rates in earnings generally were 

higher for college graduates than for workers with less education. 

Number of Jobs Held 

Individuals held an average of 11.3 jobs from ages 18 to 46, with nearly half of these jobs being held 

before age 25. In this release, a job is defined as an uninterrupted period of work with a particular 

employer. (See the Technical Note for additional information on the definition of a job.) On average, 

men held 11.5 jobs, and women held 11.1 jobs from age 18 to age 46. Men held 5.7 jobs from age 18 to 

age 24, compared with 2.1 jobs from age 40 to age 46. The reduction in the average number of jobs held 

in successive ages was similar for women. (See table 1.) 

On average, men without a high school diploma held 13.1 jobs from ages 18 to 46, while men with a 

bachelor’s degree and higher held 11.4 jobs between these ages. In contrast, women without a high 

school diploma held an average of 10.1 jobs from ages 18 to 46, while women with a bachelor’s degree 

and higher held 12.2 jobs between these ages. 

From age 18 to age 24, whites held more jobs than blacks or Hispanics. On average, whites held 5.7 jobs 

between the ages of 18 and 24, while blacks held 4.6 jobs and Hispanics held 4.9 jobs. From age 25 to 

age 46, there was no significant difference in the average number of jobs held by individuals across 

racial and ethnic groups. 

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 18 to 24 years of age, 69 percent ended in 

less than a year and 93 percent ended in less than 5 years. Among jobs started by 40 to 46 year olds, 33 

percent ended in less than a year and 69 percent ended in less than 5 years. (See table 2.) 

Percent of Weeks Employed, Unemployed, and Not in the Labor Force 

On average, the baby boomers represented by the survey sample were employed during 78 percent of all 

the weeks occurring from age 18 to age 46. They were unemployed—that is, without jobs but seeking 

work—4 percent of the weeks. They were not in the labor force—that is, neither working nor seeking 

work—17 percent of the weeks. (See table 3.) 

The amount of time spent employed differs substantially among those without a high school diploma 

and those who have graduated from high school or attained higher levels of education. Individuals with 

less than a high school diploma (as of the 2010-11 survey) spent 60 percent of weeks employed and 31 

percent of weeks out of the labor force from age 18 to age 46. By comparison, high school graduates 

spent 79 percent of weeks employed and 15 percent of weeks out of the labor force, while those with a 

bachelor’s degree and higher spent 82 percent of weeks employed and 15 percent of weeks out of the 

labor force. 
- 3 - 

White high school graduates with no college were employed a higher percentage of weeks and out of the 

labor force a smaller percentage of weeks than similarly educated blacks or Hispanics. Between the ages 

of 18 and 46, white high school graduates with no college spent 82 percent of weeks employed and 14 

percent of weeks out of the labor force, similarly educated blacks spent 68 percent of weeks employed 

and 22 percent of weeks out of the labor force, and Hispanic high school graduates with no college spent 

74 percent of weeks employed and 20 percent of weeks out of the labor force. Among those with a 

bachelor’s degree and higher, however, there was little difference among racial and ethnic groups in 

labor market attachment; each group spent about 80 percent of weeks employed. (See chart 1.) 

The amount of time spent in the labor force differs by sex. Overall, men were out of the labor force 10 

percent of weeks from age 18 to age 46; at these same ages, women were out of the labor force 25 

percent of these weeks. Women’s labor force participation generally grows with education level, 

although women at every educational level spent fewer weeks in the labor force than men. Women 

without a high school diploma spent almost half (47 percent) of all weeks between age 18 and age 46 

out of the labor force, while those with a high school diploma were out of the labor force 24 percent of 

weeks, those with some college were out of the labor force 22 percent of weeks, and those with a 

bachelor’s degree and higher were out of the labor force only 19 percent of weeks. Among men in those 

ages, those without a high school diploma were out of the labor force about 20 percent of weeks and 

those in the other three education categories were out of the labor force only 8 to 10 percent of weeks. 

(See table 3.) 

Women at every age spent fewer weeks in the labor force than men. From ages 18 to 24, men spent 18 

percent of weeks out of the labor force, and women spent 30 percent of weeks out of the labor force. 

This age range was a period when large proportions of men and women attended college or received 

vocational training and, as a result, spent less time in the labor force. From ages 25 to 39, these men 

spent only 7 percent of weeks out of the labor force, while women spent between 22 and 26 percent of 

weeks out of the labor force. Compared to men, women spent an average of two to three times as many 

weeks out of the labor force as their male counterparts after age 24. (See table 4 and chart 2.) 

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Lessthan a high school

diploma

High school graduates,

no college

Some college or

associate degree

Bachelor's degree and

higher

Percent of weeks employed

White non‐Hispanic Black non‐Hispanic Hispanic or Latino

Chart 1. Percent of weeks employed from age 18 to age 46, by educational

attainment, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
- 4 - 

The percentage of weeks in which men are employed peaks at 89 percent in the 35 to 39 age category, 

and then decreases slightly to 87 percent in the 40 to 46 age group. The percentage of weeks in which 

women are employed increases from 63 percent in the 18 to 24 age group to a maximum of 76 percent in 

the 40 to 46 age group. (See table 4.) 

Percent Growth in Real Earnings 

The inflation-adjusted earnings of these workers increased most rapidly while they were young. Hourly 

earnings grew by an average of 6.3 percent per year from ages 18 to 24 and 4.1 percent per year from 

ages 25 to 29. The earnings growth rate slowed to 3.2 percent annually from age 30 to age 34 and 3.1 

percent annually from age 35 to age 39. From ages 40 to 46, hourly earnings grew an average of .9 

percent per year. Earnings growth was minimal (.2 percent) for 40- to 46-year-olds with less than a high 

school diploma. 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. For men and women in nearly every age 

category, growth rates in inflation-adjusted hourly earnings generally were higher for workers with more 

education. (See table 5.) 

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Ages 18

to 24

Ages 25

to 29

Ages 30

to 34

Ages 35

to 39

Ages 40

to 46

Ages 18

to 24

Ages 25

to 29

Ages 30

to 34

Ages 35

to 39

Ages 40

to 46

Men Women

Percent of weeks employed

Chart 2. Percent of weeks not in labor force from age 18 to age 46, by sex and age    
Technical Note 

The estimates in this release were obtained using data 

from the first 24 rounds of the National Longitudinal Survey 

of Youth 1979 (NLSY79). This survey is conducted by the 

National Opinion Research Center at the University of 

Chicago and the Center for Human Resource Research at The 

Ohio State University 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 noninstitutionalized, civilian black, 

Hispanic or Latino, 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 economically disadvantaged nonblack, nonHispanic youths were dropped from the supplemental sample. 

As a result, the NLSY79 sample now includes 9,964 

individuals from the cross-sectional sample and the black and 

Hispanic supplemental 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 2010-11, 7,565 individuals 

responded to the survey, for a retention rate of 76 percent. 

Only these individuals are included in the estimates in this 

release. All results are weighted using the 2010-11 survey 

weights that correct for the oversampling, interview 

nonresponse, and permanent 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 U.S. 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 estimates 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 in their prime 

working years, ages 45 to 53 in 2010-11, and have many 

years of work life ahead of them. As the cohort continues 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 

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 reports 

earnings growth from age 25 to age 29. The youngest 

respondents in the sample (birth year 1964) were these ages 

during 1989-93, whereas the oldest respondents (birth year 

1957) were these ages during 1982-86. 

Although participants in the NLSY79 were ages 45 to 

53 during the 2010-11 interviews, this release covers only the 

period while the respondents were ages 18 to 46. The reason 

for not including older ages is that the sample sizes were still 

too small to provide statistically reliable estimates for age 

groups older than 46. 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, educational attainment is defined as 

of the 2010-11 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 30. 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 29. 

Definitions 

Job. A job is defined as an uninterrupted period of work 

with a particular employer. Jobs are therefore employerbased, 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 selfemployed 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 (in January 1979 

dollars, 100=283.70 in December 2010 dollars) were not 

included 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 affected 

40 respondents. 

Race and ethnicity groups. In this release, the findings 

are reported for non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, 

and Hispanics or Latinos. 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 or Latinos, but these groups are 

not mutually exclusive. The term "Hispanic or Latino" is 

considered to be an ethnicity group, and Hispanics or Latinos 

can be of any race. Most other BLS publications include 

Hispanics or Latinos in the white and black race groups in 

addition to the Hispanic or Latino ethnicity group. 

Information in this release will be made available to 

sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 

(202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339. 
Ages 18 

to 24

Ages 25 

to 29

Ages 30 

to 34

Ages 35 

to 39

Ages 40

to 46

Total .................................................. 11.3 5.5 3.0 2.4 2.1 2.1

 Less than a high school diploma ............ 11.9 5.0 3.0 2.5 2.1 2.0

 High school graduates, no college 2 ...... 10.5 5.0 2.8 2.4 2.0 2.0

 Some college or associate degree ......... 11.8 5.7 3.1 2.5 2.2 2.2

 Bachelor's degree and higher 3 ........... 11.8 6.2 3.1 2.4 2.1 2.1

Men .................................................... 11.5 5.7 3.1 2.6 2.1 2.1

 Less than a high school diploma ............ 13.1 5.9 3.6 2.8 2.2 2.2

 High school graduates, no college 2

 ...... 10.9 5.3 3.1 2.5 2.0 2.1

 Some college or associate degree ......... 11.8 6.0 3.2 2.6 2.1 2.1

 Bachelor's degree and higher 3 ........... 11.4 5.9 2.9 2.5 2.2 2.1

Women ............................................... 11.1 5.3 2.8 2.3 2.0 2.1

 Less than a high school diploma ............ 10.1 3.8 2.3 2.2 2.0 1.8

 High school graduates, no college 2

 ...... 10.2 4.7 2.5 2.2 2.0 2.0

 Some college or associate degree ......... 11.8 5.5 3.0 2.4 2.2 2.3

 Bachelor's degree and higher 3

 ........... 12.2 6.4 3.2 2.3 1.9 2.1

White non-Hispanic.............................. 11.4 5.7 3.0 2.4 2.1 2.1

 Less than a high school diploma ............ 12.5 5.5 3.2 2.7 2.2 2.1

 High school graduates, no college 2 ...... 10.5 5.2 2.8 2.4 2.0 2.0

 Some college or associate degree ......... 11.9 5.9 3.0 2.4 2.1 2.1

 Bachelor's degree and higher 3 ........... 11.8 6.3 3.1 2.4 2.0 2.1

Black non-Hispanic .............................. 10.9 4.6 2.9 2.5 2.1 2.2

 Less than a high school diploma ............ 10.3 3.8 2.6 2.1 1.9 1.8

 High school graduates, no college 2 ...... 10.8 4.3 2.8 2.5 2.1 2.2

 Some college or associate degree ......... 11.5 5.2 3.1 2.6 2.4 2.4

 Bachelor's degree and higher 3 ........... 11.1 5.4 3.1 2.7 2.1 2.4

Hispanic or Latino................................. 11.2 4.9 2.8 2.3 2.1 2.2

 Less than a high school diploma ............ 11.2 4.5 2.8 2.2 2.0 2.2

 High school graduates, no college 2

 ...... 10.7 5.0 2.7 2.4 2.0 2.2

 Some college or associate degree ......... 11.6 5.1 3.1 2.3 2.2 2.4

 Bachelor's degree and higher 3

 ........... 12.2 5.4 2.9 2.6 2.1 2.0

 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 45 to 53 in 2010-11. Educational attainment is 

defined as of the 2010-11 survey. Race and Hispanic or Latino 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.

 NOTE: This table excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978, or who had not yet turned age 47 when 

interviewed in 2010-11.

Table 1. Number of jobs held by individuals from age 18 to age 46 in 1978-2010 by educational attainment, sex, race, 

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and age

Average number of jobs for persons ages 18 to 46 in 1978-2010

 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.

Characteristic

Total 1

 2 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. 3 Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, or doctoral degrees.
Table 2. Duration of employment relationships with a single employer for all jobs started from age 18 to age 46 

in 1978-2010 by age at start of job, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Less than 1 

year

Less than 2 

years

Less than 5 

years

Less than 10 

years

Less than 15 

years

Ages 18 to 24 ........................ 69.1 82.9 92.9 96.4 97.5 1.5

 Men ...................................... 69.3 83.0 92.6 96.2 97.3 1.6

 Women ................................ 68.9 82.9 93.1 96.5 97.7 1.4

 White non-Hispanic ............. 68.8 82.8 92.7 96.2 97.4 1.6

 Black non-Hispanic .............. 71.4 84.7 93.8 97.0 98.0 1.2

 Hispanic or Latino ................ 69.2 82.6 92.6 96.4 97.6 1.4

Ages 25 to 29......................... 56.2 73.1 87.0 93.0 95.1 3.7

 Men ...................................... 55.8 72.5 86.0 92.0 94.2 4.4

 Women ................................ 56.7 73.8 88.2 94.1 96.0 2.9

 White non-Hispanic ............. 54.7 71.9 86.3 92.6 94.8 3.8

 Black non-Hispanic .............. 61.2 77.5 89.8 94.3 95.9 3.0

 Hispanic or Latino ................ 60.4 76.1 88.1 93.7 95.8 3.3

Ages 30 to 34 ........................ 47.8 64.7 82.8 90.9 93.5 6.0

 Men ...................................... 47.5 64.3 82.3 90.2 92.9 6.7

 Women ................................ 48.0 65.1 83.4 91.8 94.2 5.3

 White non-Hispanic ............. 46.0 62.8 81.7 90.3 93.1 6.5

 Black non-Hispanic .............. 53.6 71.2 86.6 93.5 95.7 3.9

 Hispanic or Latino ................ 50.5 68.1 85.0 92.3 94.3 5.3

Ages 35 to 39......................... 37.6 55.4 76.3 86.0 (

1

) 12.0

 Men ...................................... 36.5 55.0 75.4 85.4 (

1

) 12.3

 Women ................................ 38.7 55.7 77.1 86.6 (

1

) 11.7

 White non-Hispanic ............. 36.2 53.7 74.7 84.9 (

1

) 12.9

 Black non-Hispanic .............. 42.2 61.0 82.1 90.0 (

1

) 8.5

 Hispanic or Latino ................ 41.7 58.7 79.8 88.3 (

1

) 10.2

Ages 40 to 46......................... 32.8 50.8 69.0 (

1

) (1) 25.8

 Men ...................................... 31.3 49.0 68.2 (

1

) (1) 26.8

 Women ................................ 34.2 52.5 69.8 (

1

) (1) 24.9

 White non-Hispanic ............. 31.7 49.4 67.2 (

1

) (1) 27.5

 Black non-Hispanic .............. 36.6 55.7 75.2 (

1

) (1) 20.1

 Hispanic or Latino ................ 34.4 52.6 74.5 (

1

) (1) 21.2

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 45 to 53 in 2010-11. Race and Hispanic or Latino 

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.

Age at the start of job and 

characteristic

Cumulative percent distribution of duration Percent of 

jobs ongoing 

in 2010

 1

 Estimates are not presented for these categories because most sample members were not yet old enough at the time 

 NOTE: The age category of 18 to 24 excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978.
Total, ages 18 to 46 in 1978-2010...................................... 77.7 4.4 17.2

 Less than a high school diploma ....................................... 59.9 7.9 31.3

 High school graduates, no college 1 ................................ 79.1 4.8 15.4

 Some college or associate degree .................................... 79.4 4.1 15.7

 Bachelor's degree and higher 2 ....................................... 82.4 2.5 14.5

Men ............................................................................. 84.3 4.7 10.2

 Less than a high school diploma ....................................... 69.8 9.1 19.9

 High school graduates, no college 1 ................................ 86.6 4.8 7.8

 Some college or associate degree .................................... 87.0 4.1 8.2

 Bachelor's degree and higher 2 ....................................... 86.6 2.6 10.1

Women ...................................................................... 70.7 4.0 24.6

 Less than a high school diploma ....................................... 46.3 6.2 47.0

 High school graduates, no college 1 ................................ 70.4 4.8 24.2

 Some college or associate degree .................................... 72.9 4.0 22.2

 Bachelor's degree and higher 2 ....................................... 78.3 2.3 18.9

White non-Hispanic ........................................................ 79.9 3.6 15.9

 Less than a high school diploma ....................................... 63.6 6.9 28.6

 High school graduates, no college 1 ................................ 81.7 3.9 13.8

 Some college or associate degree .................................... 80.1 3.4 15.6

 Bachelor's degree and higher 2 ....................................... 82.6 2.3 14.6

Black non-Hispanic ........................................................ 68.7 8.4 22.0

 Less than a high school diploma ....................................... 48.4 11.4 39.2

 High school graduates, no college 1 ................................ 68.1 9.5 21.5

 Some college or associate degree .................................... 76.3 7.2 15.8

 Bachelor's degree and higher 2 ....................................... 81.0 4.6 13.6

Hispanic or Latino.......................................................... 72.5 5.2 21.2

 Less than a high school diploma ....................................... 62.4 7.9 28.8

 High school graduates, no college 1 ................................ 73.5 5.0 20.4

 Some college or associate degree .................................... 78.2 3.7 17.0

 Bachelor's degree and higher 2 ....................................... 80.3 3.2 15.7

Table 3. Percent of weeks individuals were employed, unemployed, or not in the labor force from age 18 to age 46 

in 1978-2010 by educational attainment, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

 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 45 to 53 in 2010-11. Educational 

attainment is defined as of the 2010-11 survey. Race and Hispanic or Latino 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.

Percent of total weeks while ages 18 to 46 in 1978-2010

 Totals do not add to 100 percent due to a small number of respondents whose employment status cannot be determined 

for all weeks.

Characteristic

 NOTE: This table excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978, or who had not yet turned age 47 

when interviewed in 2010-11.

Employed Not in labor force Unemployed

 1 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. 2 Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, or doctoral degrees.
Total, ages 18 to 46 in 1978-2010 1

 ........................... 77.7 4.4 17.2

 Ages 18 to 24 in 1978-1988 2

 .................................. 68.0 7.9 23.6

 Ages 25 to 29 in 1982-1993 ................................... 78.4 4.5 16.5

 Ages 30 to 34 in 1987-1998 .................................... 79.9 3.5 16.0

 Ages 35 to 39 in 1992-2003 .................................... 82.1 2.8 14.5

 Ages 40 to 46 in 1997-2010 3

 ................................. 81.2 3.0 14.6

Men, ages 18 to 46 in 1978-2010 1

 .............................. 84.3 4.7 10.2

 Ages 18 to 24 in 1978-1988 2

 .................................. 73.0 8.8 17.6

 Ages 25 to 29 in 1982-1993 ................................... 86.9 5.1 7.2

 Ages 30 to 34 in 1987-1998 .................................... 88.3 3.8 7.2

 Ages 35 to 39 in 1992-2003 .................................... 89.0 2.9 7.4

 Ages 40 to 46 in 1997-2010 3

 ................................. 86.7 3.2 8.9

Women, ages 18 to 46 in 1978-2010 1

 ........................ 70.7 4.0 24.6

 Ages 18 to 24 in 1978-1988 2

 .................................. 62.8 6.9 29.9

 Ages 25 to 29 in 1982-1993 ................................... 69.5 3.9 26.2

 Ages 30 to 34 in 1987-1998 .................................... 71.1 3.2 25.2

 Ages 35 to 39 in 1992-2003 .................................... 74.9 2.7 21.8

 Ages 40 to 46 in 1997-2010 3

 ................................. 75.5 2.8 20.6

White non-Hispanic, ages 18 to 46 in 1978-2010 1 .......... 79.9 3.6 15.9

 Ages 18 to 24 in 1978-1988 2

 .................................. 70.9 6.8 21.8

 Ages 25 to 29 in 1982-1993 ................................... 80.7 3.7 15.1

 Ages 30 to 34 in 1987-1998 .................................... 81.8 2.8 14.8

 Ages 35 to 39 in 1992-2003 .................................... 83.7 2.2 13.5

 Ages 40 to 46 in 1997-2010 3

 ................................. 82.7 2.5 13.8

Black non-Hispanic, ages 18 to 46 in 1978-2010 1 ......... 68.7 8.4 22.0

 Ages 18 to 24 in 1978-1988 2

 .................................. 55.5 13.4 30.6

 Ages 25 to 29 in 1982-1993 ................................... 69.4 8.8 21.1

 Ages 30 to 34 in 1987-1998 .................................... 71.5 7.1 20.7

 Ages 35 to 39 in 1992-2003 .................................... 75.6 5.6 18.2

 Ages 40 to 46 in 1997-2010 3

 ................................. 74.6 5.8 18.2

Hispanic or Latino, ages 18 to 46 in 1978-2010 1 ............ 72.5 5.2 21.2

 Ages 18 to 24 in 1978-1988 2

 .................................. 63.2 8.6 27.6

 Ages 25 to 29 in 1982-1993 ................................... 71.4 5.5 22.4

 Ages 30 to 34 in 1987-1998 .................................... 74.7 4.1 20.3

 Ages 35 to 39 in 1992-2003 .................................... 77.5 3.8 17.7

 Ages 40 to 46 in 1997-2010 3

 ................................. 77.7 3.7 16.9

 2 This category excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978. 3 This category excludes individuals who had not yet turned age 47 when interviewed in 2010-11.

 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 45 to 53 in 2010-11. Race and Hispanic 

or Latino 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 46 in 1978-2010 by age, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Age and characteristic

Employed Not in labor force

 1 This category excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978, or who had not yet turned age 47 when 

interviewed in 2010-11.

 NOTE: Totals do not add to 100 percent due to a small number of respondents whose employment status cannot be 

determined for all weeks.

Percent of total weeks

Unemployed
Ages 18 

to 24

Ages 25 

to 29

Ages 30 

to 34

Ages 35 

to 39

Ages 40

to 46

Total ................................................................. 6.3 4.1 3.2 3.1 0.9

 Less than a high school diploma ........................... 3.2 2.5 1.6 3.1 .2

 High school graduates, no college 1

 ..................... 4.9 2.5 2.7 2.8 .7

 Some college or associate degree ........................ 6.3 4.7 2.8 2.7 .7

 Bachelor's degree and higher 2

 ............................. 9.2 6.3 4.8 3.8 1.6

Men ................................................................. 6.9 4.5 3.5 3.1 .9

 Less than a high school diploma ........................... 3.8 2.1 1.6 3.2 .3

 High school graduates, no college 1 ..................... 5.9 3.0 2.5 2.6 .7

 Some college or associate degree ........................ 7.3 5.5 3.5 2.4 .6

 Bachelor's degree and higher 2 ............................. 9.5 7.2 5.8 4.2 1.7

Women ........................................................ 5.6 3.6 2.9 3.1 .9

 Less than a high school diploma ........................... 2.2 3.3 1.6 2.8 .0

 High school graduates, no college 1 ..................... 3.7 1.9 3.0 3.0 .7

 Some college or associate degree ........................ 5.4 4.1 2.1 2.9 .9

 Bachelor's degree and higher 2 ............................. 8.9 5.3 3.8 3.4 1.4

White non-Hispanic ......................................... 6.7 4.2 3.2 3.1 1.0

 Less than a high school diploma ........................... 3.8 2.4 1.5 2.9 .3

 High school graduates, no college 1 ..................... 5.2 2.4 2.6 2.9 .9

 Some college or associate degree ........................ 6.3 5.0 2.7 2.6 .6

 Bachelor's degree and higher 2 ............................. 9.4 6.4 4.9 3.9 1.5

Black non-Hispanic ......................................... 4.4 3.8 3.1 2.8 .4

 Less than a high school diploma ........................... 1.9 2.9 1.3 4.0 - .9

 High school graduates, no college 1 ..................... 3.1 3.2 3.4 2.2 - .3

 Some college or associate degree ........................ 5.7 3.8 2.7 3.2 1.3

 Bachelor's degree and higher 2

 ............................. 7.4 5.9 4.6 2.7 1.6

Hispanic or Latino................................................ 5.7 3.5 3.2 2.9 1.5

 Less than a high school diploma ........................... 2.8 1.8 2.5 2.5 1.2

 High school graduates, no college 1

 ..................... 5.5 3.0 3.3 3.2 0.5

 Some college or associate degree ........................ 7.2 3.9 3.2 2.4 1.6

 Bachelor's degree and higher 2

 ............................. 9.0 6.3 3.8 4.0 3.8

 2 Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, or doctoral degrees.

 NOTE: The first column excludes individuals who turned age 18 before 1978. The last column excludes 

individuals who were not yet age 47 when interviewed in 2010-11.

Growth rates were calculated on hourly earnings adjusted for price level changes using the CPI-U-RS.

 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 45 to 53 in 2010-11. 

Educational attainment is defined as of the 2010-11 survey. Race and Hispanic or Latino 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 1978-2010 by 

educational attainment, sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and age

Characteristic

Average annual percent growth in hourly earnings

 1 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.