Technical information:  (202) 691-7410     USDL  04-1678
               http://www.bls.gov/nls/
                                           For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902     Wednesday, August 25, 2004
                                     
                                     
      NUMBER OF JOBS HELD, LABOR MARKET ACTIVITY, AND EARNINGS GROWTH
  AMONG YOUNGER BABY BOOMERS:  RECENT RESULTS FROM A LONGITUDINAL SURVEY
     
     
   The average person born in the later years of the baby boom held 10
jobs from age 18 to age 38, 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.  However, baby boomers
continued to have a relatively large number of short-duration jobs even as
they approached middle age.
   
   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 37 to 45 when interviewed most recently in
2002.  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 of the latest data from the longitudinal survey focuses on
the number of jobs held and job duration, labor force participation, and
earnings growth.  Highlights from the survey include:

   --Persons born from 1957 to 1964 held an average of 10.2 jobs from ages
     18 to 38.  These baby boomers held an average of 4.4 jobs while ages 18 
     to 22.  The average fell to 3.3 jobs while ages 23 to 27, to 2.6 jobs 
     while ages 28 to 32, and to 2.5 jobs from ages 33 to 38.  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 38 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 a 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 38,  39 percent ended in 
     less than a year, and 70 percent ended in fewer than 5 years.

   --The average person was employed during 76 percent of the weeks from
     age 18 to age 38.  Generally, men spent a larger percent of weeks em-
     ployed than did women (84 versus 69 percent).  Women spent much more 
     time out of the labor force (26 percent of weeks) than did men (11 per-
     cent 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.

                                  - 2 -

Number of Jobs Held

   Individuals held an average of 10.2 jobs from ages 18 to 38, 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 Technical Note for additional information on the definition of a
job.)  On average, men held 10.4 jobs and women held 9.9 jobs from age 18
to age 38.  Men held 4.5 jobs from age 18 to age 22, but only 2.5 jobs from
age 33 to age 38.  The reduction in the number of jobs held in successive
age groups was similar for women.  (See table 1.)
   
   On average, college-educated women held more jobs than women without a
college degree and also held more jobs than college-educated men.  Women
with a college degree held 11.1 jobs from age 18 to 38 compared with 10.0
jobs for similarly educated men and 8.5 jobs for women with less than a
high school diploma.  However, men without a high school diploma had more
jobs than more educated men.
   
   Differences in the number of jobs held also are apparent between race 
and ethnicity groups.  From ages 18 to 38, whites held more jobs than either 
blacks or Hispanics or Latinos.  The difference was most pronounced at
younger ages; these racial differences nearly disappeared at older ages.
From ages 33 to 38, whites, blacks, and Hispanics or Latinos all held an
average of about 2.5 jobs.
   
Duration of Employment Relationships
   
   The length of time a worker remained with the same employer increased
with the age at which the worker began the job.  Of the jobs that workers
began when they were ages 18 to 22, 71 percent of those jobs ended in less
than a year, and 94 percent ended in fewer than 5 years.  Among jobs started 
by workers when they were ages 28 to 32, 50 percent ended in less than a 
year, and 82 percent ended in fewer 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 employ-
ed during 76 percent of all the weeks occurring from age 18 to age 38.  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--18 percent of the weeks.  (See table 3.)
   
   The amount of time spent employed differed substantially between
educational-attainment groups, especially among blacks and Hispanics or
Latinos.  Blacks with less than a high school diploma (as of the 2002
survey) spent 52 percent of weeks employed and 35 percent of weeks out of
the labor force from age 18 to age 38.  By comparison, black high school
graduates spent 64 percent of weeks employed and 25 percent of weeks out of
the labor force.  Hispanic or Latino high school dropouts spent 59 percent
of weeks employed, compared with 71 percent of weeks for Hispanic or Latino
high school graduates.  White high school dropouts spent 69 percent of
weeks employed, and white high school graduates spent 79 percent of weeks
employed.  Among college graduates, there was little difference between
racial and ethnic groups in labor market attachment.  Black, Hispanic or
Latino, and white college graduates all spent about 81 percent of weeks
employed.
   
                                  - 3 -

   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
76 percent of weeks employed from age 18 to age 38.  These men also spent
10 percent of weeks unemployed.  By comparison, women with less than a high
school diploma spent just 47 percent of weeks employed and 6 percent of
weeks unemployed from age 18 to age 38.  Women without a high school diploma 
spent nearly as much time out of the labor force as they they did employed 
(46 versus 47 percent).  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 
(84 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 unem-
ployed 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 re-
ceive 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 33 to 38, they spent only 7 percent of weeks out of the labor force.
(See table 4.)
   
   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.  Women ages 33 to 38 spent  
23 percent of weeks out of the labor force.
   
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 by an average of 6.7 percent per year.  The earnings growth rate slowed 
to 5.0 percent annually from age 23 to age 27, then to 2.7 percent annually 
from age 28 to age 32.  From ages 33 to 38, however, average annual wage 
growth rose to 3.3 percent.  This pattern in earnings growth reflects, in 
part, the state of the U.S. economy during the years in which survey partici-
pants were in each age group.  In every age category, growth rates in infla-
tion-adjusted hourly earnings generally were higher for workers with more 
education.  (See table 5.)
 
 
 

                                  - 4 -

Technical Note
  
  
  
  The estimates in this release were obtained using data from the first 
20 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 January 1, 1957, and December 31, 1964
   
   --A supplemental sample of 5,295 youths designed to oversample noninstitu-
tionalized, civilian black, Hispanic or Latino, and economically disadvantaged 
nonblack, non-Hispanic youths living in the U.S. in 1979 and born between 
January 1, 1957, and December 31, 1964
   
   --A military sample of 1,280 youths born between January 1, 1957, and 
December 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 econom-
ically 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 or La-
tino 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 2002, 7,724 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 2002 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.
                                  
                                  - 5 -

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 37 to 45 in
2002, 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 re-
spondent from January 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 in-
formation 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 37 to 45 during the 2002
interviews, the tables in this release cover only the period while the 
respondents were ages 18 to 38.  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 38.  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 2002 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.

                                  - 6 -

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 75 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 pro-
vide 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 terms "Hispanic or Latino" are consi-
dered 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 in-
dividuals 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 38 in 1978-2002 by 
educational attainment, sex, race, Hispanic ethnicity, and age


                                        Average number of jobs for persons ages 18 to 38 
           Characteristic                                  in 1978-2002                 

                                          Total(1)   Ages 18   Ages 23  Ages 28   Ages 33
                                                      to 22     to 27    to 32     to 38

Total ..................................... 10.2       4.4       3.3      2.6       2.5
  Less than a high school diploma ......... 10.3       3.9       3.2      2.6       2.5
  High school graduates, no college .......  9.7       4.2       3.0      2.6       2.5
  Less than a bachelor's degree ........... 10.5       4.6       3.7      2.7       2.6
  Bachelor's degree or more ............... 10.6       5.0       3.5      2.6       2.3

Men ....................................... 10.4       4.5       3.4      2.8       2.5
  Less than a high school diploma ......... 11.6       4.6       3.8      3.0       2.7
  High school graduates, no college ....... 10.2       4.5       3.4      2.8       2.4
  Less than a bachelor's degree ........... 10.6       4.6       3.4      2.9       2.7
  Bachelor's degree or more ............... 10.0       4.6       3.4      2.6       2.4

Women .....................................  9.9       4.3       3.1      2.4       2.4
  Less than a high school diploma .........  8.5       3.0       2.4      2.1       2.2
  High school graduates, no college .......  9.2       3.8       2.7      2.3       2.5
  Less than a bachelor's degree ........... 10.4       4.6       3.3      2.5       2.5
  Bachelor's degree or more ............... 11.1       5.4       3.7      2.7       2.2

White non-Hispanic ........................ 10.3       4.6       3.3      2.6       2.5
  Less than a high school diploma ......... 10.8       4.3       3.3      2.7       2.6
  High school graduates, no college .......  9.7       4.3       3.1      2.6       2.5
  Less than a bachelor's degree ........... 10.8       4.8       3.5      2.7       2.6
  Bachelor's degree or more ............... 10.6       5.1       3.5      2.6       2.3

Black non-Hispanic ........................  9.6       3.6       3.1      2.7       2.6
  Less than a high school diploma .........  9.1       2.9       2.9      2.6       2.3
  High school graduates, no college .......  9.7       3.5       3.0      2.7       2.5
  Less than a bachelor's degree ...........  9.7       3.8       3.1      2.6       2.7
  Bachelor's degree or more ...............  9.9       4.2       3.6      2.8       2.7

Hispanic or Latino ........................  9.6       4.0       3.0      2.5       2.4
  Less than a high school diploma .........  9.6       3.9       3.0      2.4       2.3
  High school graduates, no college .......  9.5       3.9       2.9      2.5       2.4
  Less than a bachelor's degree ...........  9.5       4.2       3.0      2.5       2.4
  Bachelor's degree or more ............... 10.5       4.5       3.4      2.8       2.5

   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 January 1, 
1978. The first and last columns exclude individuals who had not yet turned age 39
when interviewed in 2002.
   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 37 to 44 in 2002.  Educational attainment is defined as of the 2002
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 2.  Duration of employment relationships with a single employer for all jobs 
started from age 18 to age 38 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 or Latino
ethnicity									
									
                    Cumulative percent distribution of duration of completed          
                                   employment relationships                    Percent
 Age at the start                                                              of jobs
    of job and       Less than   Less than  Less than  Less than  Less than    ongoing	
  characteristics      1 year     2 years    5 years    10 years   15 years    in 2000				
									
Ages 18 to 22 ......... 71.0       84.3	       97.3      96.7	     97.4        2.2			
								 	
  Men .................	71.5       84.3	       93.4      96.5	     97.2        2.4			
  Women ............... 70.5       84.2	       94.0      96.9	     97.6        2.1			
									
  White non-Hispanic ..	70.6       84.1	       93.6      96.6	     97.3        2.3			
  Black non-Hispanic ..	73.7       86.3	       94.5      97.3	     97.9        1.9			
  Hispanic or Latino .. 70.6       83.4        99.3      96.8        97.5        2.1			
				
Ages 23 to 27 .........	58.0       74.8        87.9      92.9        94.0        5.7			
						
  Men .................	57.9       74.7        87.3      92.3        93.5        6.1
  Women ...............	58.2       74.9        88.7      93.5        94.6        5.1
						
  White non-Hispanic ..	57.2       74.0        87.4      92.7        93.9        5.8
  Black non-Hispanic ..	61.9       78.5        90.3      93.1        94.7        5.0
  Hispanic or Latino .. 59.4       75.6        88.5      92.7        93.7        6.1
						
Ages 28 to 32 ......... 50.4       66.6        81.7      86.5        87.2       12.7
						
  Men .................	50.5       66.6        81.4      86.1        86.9       13.1
  Women ...............	50.3       66.5        82.2      86.9        87.6       12.2
						
  White non-Hispanic ..	49.2       65.3        80.9      85.9        86.8       13.3
  Black non-Hispanic ..	55.3       72.4        85.0      89.0        89.7       10.3
  Hispanic or Latino .. 51.6       67.8        82.6      87.1        87.4       12.6
							
Ages 33 to 38 ......... 38.7       54.0        70.1       (1)         (1)       26.5 
							
  Men .................	37.8       53.8        69.8       (1)         (1)       26.8	
  Women ...............	39.6       54.1        70.3       (1)         (1)       26.2	
							
  White non-Hispanic ..	37.7       52.9        69.1       (1)         (1)       27.4	
  Black non-Hispanic ..	42.3       58.2        73.6       (1)         (1)       23.0	
  Hispanic or Latino .. 40.2       55.2        71.3       (1)         (1)       24.8	
							
							
   1  Estimates are not presented for these categories because most sample members were
not yet old enough at the time of the 2002 survey to have completed jobs of these durations.	

   NOTE:  The age category of 18 to 22 excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 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 37 to 44 in 2002.  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 3.  Percent of weeks individuals were employed, unemployed, or not in the labor force
from age 18 to age 38 in 1978-2002 by educational attainment, sex, race, and Hispanic or
Latino ethnicity				
				
			
	                                      Percent of total weeks while ages 18 to 38
               Characteristics                               in 1978-2002			
				
	                                     Employed         Unemployed     Not in labor 	
							                        force
				
Total, ages 18 to 38 in 1978-2002 ............ 76.4              4.8             18.3	
  Less than a high school diploma ............ 64.1              8.0             27.4	
  High school graduates, no college .......... 75.7              5.6             18.2	
  Less than a bachelor's degree .............. 78.8              4.3             16.4	
  Bachelor's degree and more ................. 81.0              2.6             16.1	
				
Men .......................................... 83.7              5.3             10.5	
  Less than a high school diploma ............ 76.3              9.7             13.6	
  High school graduates, no college .......... 84.0              5.9              9.4	
  Less than a bachelor's degree .............. 91.1              2.7              5.6	
  Bachelor's degree and more ................. 84.1              2.7             12.9	
 				
Women ........................................ 69.0              4.4             26.3	
  Less than a high school diploma ............ 47.4              5.8             46.4	
  High school graduates, no college .......... 66.7              5.3             27.6	
  Less than a bachelor's degree .............. 71.8              4.2             23.4	
  Bachelor's degree and more ................. 78.0              2.4             19.3	
				
White non-Hispanic ........................... 78.8              4.0             16.8	
  Less than a high school diploma ............ 69.3              7.0             23.3	
  High school graduates, no college .......... 78.6              4.6             16.3	
  Less than a bachelor's degree .............. 80.1              3.5             15.7	
  Bachelor's degree and more ................. 81.1              2.4             16.2	
				
Black non-Hispanic ........................... 66.9              9.4             23.3	
  Less than a high school diploma ............ 51.8             12.2             35.4	
  High school graduates, no college .......... 64.3             10.7             24.5	
  Less than a bachelor's degree .............. 73.1              7.9             18.5	
  Bachelor's degree and more ................. 80.5              4.4             14.7	
				
Hispanic or Latino ........................... 70.8              5.3             23.4	
  Less than a high school diploma ............ 58.6              7.6             33.4	
  High school graduates, no college .......... 71.2              5.4             22.8	
  Less than a bachelor's degree .............. 77.2              3.9             18.3	
  Bachelor's degree and more ................. 80.9              3.2             15.6	
				
				
   NOTE:  This table excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978, 
or who had not yet turned age 39 when interviewed in 2002.					
   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 45 in 2002.  Educational attainment is
defined as of the 2000 survey.  Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity groups are 
mutally 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 38 in 1978-2002 by age, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino
ethnicity			
			
			
                                                           Percent of total weeks		
                 Age and Characteristic                                            Not in 
	                                             Employed       Unemployed     labor 
	                                                                           force

Total, ages 18 to 38 in 1978-2002(1).................. 76.4            4.8          18.3
  Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1987(2) ...................... 64.5            8.8          26.3
  Ages 23 to 27 in 1983-1992 ......................... 77.0            5.5          17.0
  Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1997 ......................... 79.2            3.8          16.5
  Ages 33 to 38 in 1990-2002(3) ...................... 81.8            2.9          15.9
			
Men, ages 18 to 38 in 1978-2002(1) ................... 83.7            5.3          10.5
  Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1987(2)....................... 69.1            9.9          20.5
  Ages 23 to 27 in 1983-1992 ......................... 84.8            6.4           8.2
  Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1997 ......................... 88.1            4.1           7.2
  Ages 33 to 38 in 1990-2002(3) ...................... 89.6            3.1           6.9
 			
Women, ages 18 to 38 in 1978-2002(1) ................. 69.0            4.4          26.3
  Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1987(2) ...................... 59.6            7.7          32.3
  Ages 23 to 27 in 1983-1992 ......................... 69.0            4.1          26.1
  Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1997 ......................... 70.0            3.4          26.1
  Ages 33 to 38 in 1990-2002(3) ...................... 73.8            2.7          23.2
			
White non-Hispanic, ages 18 to 38 in 1978-2002(1) .... 78.8            4.0          16.8
  Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1987(2) ...................... 67.5            7.7          24.4
  Ages 23 to 27 in 1983-1992 ......................... 79.5            4.6          15.5
  Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1997 ......................... 81.3            3.1          15.1
  Ages 33 to 38 in 1990-2002(3) ...................... 83.6            2.3          13.8
			
Black non-Hispanic, ages 18 to 38 in 1978-2002(1) .... 66.9            9.4          23.3
  Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1987(2) ...................... 51.4           14.7          33.5
  Ages 23 to 27 in 1983-1992 ......................... 67.2           10.4          22.0
  Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1997 ......................... 70.1            7.5          21.5
  Ages 33 to 38 in 1990-2002 (3) ..................... 74.4            6.0          19.3
			
Hispanic or Latino, ages 18 to 38 in 1978-2002(1) .... 70.8            5.3          23.4
  Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1987(2) ...................... 60.1            9.3          30.1
  Ages 23 to 27 in 1983-1992 ......................... 70.7            6.2          22.5
  Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1997 ......................... 74.2            4.3          20.6
  Ages 33 to 38 in 1990-2002(3) ...................... 77.3            3.6          18.4
			
			
   1  This category excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978, or who 
had not yet turned age 39 when interviewed in 2002.			
   2  This category excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978.			
   3  This category excludes individuals who had not yet turned age 39 when interviewed 
in 2002.			
   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 45 in 2002.  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
to 2002 by educational attainment, sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and age				
				
				
	                                Average annual percent growth in hourly earnings			
            Characteristic								
	                                    Ages 18    Ages 23     Ages 2      Ages 33
	                                     to 22      to 27       to 32       to 38
				 
Total .....................................   6.7        5.0         2.7         3.3
  Less than a high school diploma  ........   4.8        2.4         1.3         3.5
  High school graduates, no college  ......   5.7        3.2         1.9         2.8
  Less than a bachelor's degree  ..........   6.3        4.8         2.5         3.5
  Bachelor's degree or more ...............   9.6        9.1         4.7         4.1
				
Men .......................................   6.7        5.6         2.8         3.5
  Less than a high school diploma .........   3.9        2.9         1.3         2.9
  High school graduates, no college ........  6.4        3.7         1.5         2.7
  Less than a bachelor's degree ............  6.9        5.7         3.0         4.1
  Bachelor's degree or more ................  8.5       10.3         5.6         4.7
				
Women ......................................  6.8        4.3         2.6         3.2
  Less than a high school diploma ..........  6.6        1.6         1.4         4.5
  High school graduates, no college ........  4.8        2.5         2.4         2.9
  Less than a bachelor's degree ............  5.8        4.1         2.0         3.0
  Bachelor's degree or more ................ 10.6        8.0         3.7         3.4
				
White non-Hispanic .........................  7.1        5.2         2.7         3.4
  Less than a high school diploma ..........  5.5        2.4         1.1         4.3
  High school graduates, no college ........  5.7        3.0         1.9         2.7
  Less than a bachelor's degree ............  6.6        5.1         2.4         3.6
  Bachelor's degree or more ................  9.8        9.2         4.6         4.0
				
Black non-Hispanic .........................  5.2        4.3         2.4         3.3
  Less than a high school diploma ..........  3.5        2.5         1.6         1.4
  High school graduates, no college ........  5.0        3.7         1.8         3.6
  Less than a bachelor's degree ............  5.3        3.9         2.6         3.6
  Bachelor's degree or more ................  7.4        8.5         5.1         4.0
				
Hispanic or Latino..........................  6.3        3.9         2.7         2.6
  Less than a high school diploma ..........  3.8        3.1         0.8         2.7
  High school graduates, no college ........  7.2        3.2         1.5         1.7
  Less than a bachelor's degree ............  6.0        3.3         3.2         2.6
  Bachelor's degree or more ................  8.0        8.1         4.0         5.1

				
   NOTE:  The first column excludes individuals who turned age 18 before 1978.  The 
last column excludes individuals who were not yet age 39 when interviewed in 2002.				
   The CPI-U-X1 (research index) was used to adjust hourly earnings to 2002 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 45 in 2002.  Educational attainment is defined as of  the 
2002 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.