Technical information:        (202) 691-7410      USDL 06-320
                     http://www.bls.gov/nls/
                                                  For release:  10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact:                      691-5902      Friday, February 24, 2006


               America's Youth at 18:  School Enrollment and
               Employment Transitions Between Ages 17 and 18
  
  
   At age 18, notable differences in the school enrollment status of men and
women are apparent.  Eighteen-year-old men were less likely to be enrolled
in college than 18-year-old women and were more likely to either have dropped
out of high school or still be enrolled in high school.  Moreover, men who
were enrolled in high school during the October when they were age 17 were
more likely than their female counterparts to have dropped out by the follow-
ing October.
  
   These findings are from the first seven annual rounds of the National Long-
itudinal Survey of Youth 1997, which is sponsored by the Bureau of labor Stat-
istics of the U.S. Department of Labor.  The survey includes a nationally repre-
sentative sample of about 9,000 young men and women who were born during the
years 1980 to 1984.  These respondents were ages 12 to 17 when first interviewed
in 1997, and ages 19 to 24 when interviewed for a seventh time in 2003-04.  The
survey provides information on the employment experiences, schooling, family
background, social behavior, and other characteristics of these youths.
  
   This release focuses on the school enrollment and employment experiences
of these youths from the October when they were age 17 to the October when
they were age 18.  Respondents were age 17 in October during the years 1997
to 2002 and age 18 in October from 1998 to 2003.  Highlights from the
longitudinal survey include:
  
 --  By the October when age 18, a little over half of men had graduated
     from high school, compared with more than three-fifths of women.
  
 --  Nearly 7 percent of 18-year-old male high school graduates who had not
     enrolled in college had enlisted in the Armed Forces, compared with 2
     percent of women.
  
 --  Youths who dropped out of high school between ages 17 and 18 were employed
     fewer than half of the weeks between the October when they were age 17
     and the following October.  By comparison, high school graduates who did
     not enroll in college were employed more than three-fifths of those week.
     
 --  Employed youths who were enrolled in school at age 17 but were not enrolled
     one year later had much greater job mobility than those who were also
     enrolled at age 18.  Among working 18-year-old youths, one-third of high
     school dropouts and 38 percent of high school graduates not enrolled in
     college worked for the same employer as they had a year earlier.  By com-
     parison, 55 percent of those still in high school and 45 percent of those
     in college had the same employer as in the previous October.

                                  - 2 -
  
Educational Outcomes at Age 18 of High School Students and Dropouts at Age 17

   Ten percent of youths had dropped out of school by the October when they
were age 17, while 86 percent were still enrolled in high school.  Among 18-
year-olds, 15 percent had dropped out of high school, 28 percent were still
enrolled in high school, 22 percent had graduated without going on to college,
and 35 percent were enrolled in college.  At age 18, men trailed women in terms
of educational attainment.  By the October when they were age 18, men were
slightly more likely than women to have dropped out of high school (17 compared
with 14 percent) and were considerably more likely to still be enrolled in high
school (32 compared with 24 percent).  Men at age 18 were much less likely than
women to be enrolled in college, with college enrollment rates of 29 and 41 per-
cent, respectively.  (See table 1.)
  
   Non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics were more likely than non-Hispanic whites
to have dropped out of high school or to be enrolled in high school during the
October when they were age 18.  Non-Hispanic whites were much more likely than
non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics to be enrolled in college at age 18.
  
   While the vast majority of those who were high school dropouts in October
when age 17 were still dropouts one year later, 15 percent had either returned
to school or obtained a high school diploma.  Six percent of dropouts were reen-
rolled in high school in the October when they were age 18, seven percent had
obtained a General Educational Development (GED) credential or traditional di-
ploma but had not enrolled in college, and 2 percent of these former high school
dropouts were enrolled in college by the October when they were age 18.  (See
table 2.)
  
   Seven percent of youths who were enrolled in high school during the
October when they were age 17 had dropped out of school by the following
October.  Six percent of non-Hispanic whites who were enrolled in high
school at age 17 had dropped out by the following year, compared with 11
percent of non-Hispanic blacks and 10 percent of Hispanics.  Regardless of
race or ethnicity, men were more likely than women to have dropped out
between ages 17 and 18, although the gaps in dropout rates between men and
women were much larger for non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics than for non-
Hispanic whites.
  
   Women who were enrolled in high school in October when they were age 17
were considerably more likely than their male counterparts to be enrolled
in college the following October.  This college enrollment gap was present
for each of the three racial or ethnic groups examined.  Nearly 50 percent
of non-Hispanic white women who were enrolled in high school the October
when they were age 17 were then enrolled in college the following October,
compared with 35 percent of non-Hispanic white men.  Among non-Hispanic
blacks who were enrolled in high school in October when they were age 17,
35 percent of women and 21 percent of men were enrolled in college the fol-
lowing October.  Among Hispanics, the college enrollment gap between women
and men was smaller than for the other groups but still present (26 versus
21 percent).

Employment at Ages 17 and 18

   At age 18, labor force status differed substantially between high school
graduates not enrolled in college and high school dropouts.  High school
graduates not enrolled in college were much more likely to be employed than
high school dropouts.  Almost three-fourths of high school graduates not en-
rolled in college were employed, either in the civilian labor force or in the
military, during the October when they were age 18, compared with a little
over half of high school dropouts.  Eleven percent of dropouts were unemployed
and an additional 37 percent were not in the labor force.  By comparison, 5 per-
cent of high school graduates not enrolled in college were unemployed, and 22
percent were not in the labor force.  (See table 3.)
  
   Four percent of recent high school graduates not enrolled in school had
enlisted in the Armed Forces by the October when they were age 18.  Seven
percent of male graduates had enlisted, compared with 2 percent of female
graduates.  Non-Hispanic blacks were more likely to have enlisted in the
Armed Forces soon after graduating from high school than were non-Hispanic
whites or Hispanics.

                                  - 3 -
  
   Among youths who were enrolled in high school during the October when
they were age 17, employment status varied considerably by their school
enrollment status the following October.  Thirty-four percent of those
still enrolled in high school the following October had not been employed
in either October.  Another 32 percent were employed in both the October at
age 17 and the following October.  Of those who had subsequently graduated
from high school but were not enrolled in college by the October when they
were age 18, 46 percent were employed in both Octobers.  That compares with
35 percent of those who graduated from high school and then enrolled in
college and 28 percent of those who had dropped out of high school by the
October when they were age 18.  (See table 4.)
  
   Youths who were enrolled in high school during the October when age 17
and subsequently dropped out were employed fewer than half of the weeks,
on average, between the October when they were age 17 and the following
October.  By comparison, high school graduates who did not enroll in
college and those who did enroll in college were employed about three-
fifths of the weeks between the October when they were age 17 and the
following October.  College students spent a much larger share of weeks
working fewer than 20 hours than did high school dropouts or high school
graduates who were not enrolled in college.  (See table 5.)
  
Job Mobility between Ages 17 and 18

   Youths still enrolled in high school or enrolled in college at age 18
were less likely to change employer, occupation, and industry than were
youths not enrolled in school.  Among working youths who were still en-
rolled in high school in October when they were age 18, 55 percent worked
for the same employer as they had a year earlier, 55 percent worked in the
same occupation, and 62 percent worked in the same industry.  Of 18-year-
olds who had graduated from high school and then enrolled in college, 45
percent worked for the same employer in October when they were age 18 as
they had the previous October, when they were still in high school.  These
students may have attended college in the same geographic location where
they attended high school or may have worked for the same retail chain in
a different geographic area.  By comparison, 33 percent of working 18-year-
old high school dropouts worked for the same employer as they had a year
earlier, 32 percent worked in the same occupation, and 43 percent worked
in the same industry.  Eighteen-year-old workers who had graduated from
high school but had not enrolled in college were nearly as mobile as simi-
larly aged dropouts; 38 percent worked for the same employer as they had
a year earlier, 36 percent worked in the same occupation, and 44 percent
worked in the same industry.  (See table 6.)
  
                                  - 4 -

Technical Note

   
   The estimates in this release were obtained using data from the first
seven rounds of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97).  
The NLSY97 collects extensive information on youths' labor market behavior
and educational experiences.  Information about respondents' families and
communities also is obtained in the survey.
   
   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 Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor.  Partial funding support for the
survey has been provided by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office of Vocational and
Adult Education of the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of
Defense, and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
     
Sample

   The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 is a nationally repre-
sentative sample of 8,984 young men and women who were ages 12 to 16 on
December 31, 1996.  This sample is composed of the following groups:
     
   --A cross-sectional sample designed to represent the noninstitutionalized,
     civilian segment of young people living in the U.S. in 1997 and born be-
     tween January 1, 1980, and December 31, 1984.

   --Supplemental samples of Hispanic or Latino and black youths living in
     the U.S. in 1997 and born between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 1984.
     
   The seventh round of annual interviews took place between November 2003 and
July 2004.  This release examines the period from the October when respondents
were age 17 until the following October when respondents were 18.  All results
except the first six rows of table 1 are weighted using the survey weights from
the round in which the respondents were age 18.  The first six rows of table 1,
which provide estimates of school enrollment status at age 17, use the survey
weights from the round in which the respondents were age 17.  The survey weights
correct for oversampling of some demographic groups and nonresponse.  When weight-
ed, the data represent all 17- and 18-year-olds who were born in the years 1980
to 1984 and living in the U.S. in 1997.  Not represented by the survey are U.S.
immigrants who were born from 1980 to 1984 and moved to the U.S. after 1997.
   
Interaction between time and age in a longitudinal survey

   Because the NLSY97 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.  The youngest respondents in the sample (birth 
year 1984) turned 17 during calendar year 2001, whereas the oldest respondents
(birth year 1980) turned 17 during calendar year 1997.  Some respondents may not
be used in all tables if information about their work history is incomplete.
 
                                  - 5 -

Definitions
     
   Employed.  Respondents are classified as employed if they did any work
during October as paid employees, as self-employed proprietors of their own
businesses, or as unpaid workers in a business owned by a member of their
family.
     
   Unemployed.  Respondents are classified as unemployed if they did not 
work during October but reported that they looked for work or were on lay-
off from a job.

   Not in the labor force.  Respondents are classified as not in the labor
force if they did not work or look for work during October.

   
   Enrollment status.  If a youth was enrolled in high school or college
at any point during the month of October, he or she is counted as enrolled.
If a youth reported no school enrollment during October and also had not
earned a high school diploma or General Educational Development credential,
he or she is counted as a high school dropout.
      
   Race and ethnic groups.  In this release, the findings are reported for
non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and Hispanics or Latinos.  These
groups are mutually exclusive but not exhaustive.  Other 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 are
published for whites, blacks, and Hispanics or Latinos, but these groups
usually are not mutually exclusive.  The term "Hispanic or Latino" is
considered to be an ethnic group, and Hispanics or Latinos can be of any
race.  Most other BLS publications include estimates for Hispanics or Lati-
nos in the white and black race groups in addition to the Hispanic or Lati-
no 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.  School enrollment status of youths during the October when age 17 in 1997-2002
and the October when age 18 in 1998-2003 by sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity


(Percent distribution)				
                                                 School enrollment status

	                          Total     High    Enrolled    High school    Enrolled 
      Characteristic                       school   in high      graduates,   in college
                                          dropouts   school    not enrolled
                                                               in college (1)

Total, October when age 17 ....   100.0     10.2      86.1          1.6          2.2

 Men ..........................   100.0     10.3      86.8          1.3          1.6
 Women ........................   100.0      9.7      85.8          1.8          2.8

 White, non-Hispanic ..........   100.0      9.5      87.6          1.1          1.8
 Black, non-Hispanic ..........   100.0     12.2      83.2          2.0          2.6
 Hispanic or Latino ...........   100.0     12.1      82.2          3.0          2.8

Total, October when age 18 ....   100.0     15.2      28.0         22.0         34.8

 Men ..........................   100.0     16.6      32.2         22.2         29.0
 Women ........................   100.0     13.7      23.6         21.9         40.9

 White, non-Hispanic ..........   100.0     13.7      26.7         20.9         38.7
 Black, non-Hispanic ..........   100.0     20.3      33.3         21.1         25.3
 Hispanic or Latino ...........   100.0     18.5      30.6         29.2         21.8
				
									
   1 Youth who have received their General Educational Development (GED) credential are
counted as high school graduates.

   NOTE:  The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 consists of young men and women 
who were ages 12 to 16 on December 31, 1996.  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.  School enrollment status of youths the October when age 18 in 1998-2003 by
school enrollment status at age 17, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

(Percent distribution)
                                   School enrollment status the October when age 18

  School enrollment status        Total     High    Enrolled    High school    Enrolled 
  the October when age 17                  school   in high      graduates,   in college
                                          dropouts   school     not enrolled
                                                               in college (1)
									
High school dropouts ..........   100.0     84.6       5.6         7.4           2.4

 Men ..........................   100.0     84.6       6.8         7.7            .9
 Women ........................   100.0     84.7       4.3         7.0           4.1

 White, non-Hispanic ..........   100.0     85.4       5.3         6.6           2.7
  Men .........................   100.0     85.5       7.3         6.2           1.0
  Women .......................   100.0     85.3       3.2         7.0           4.5

 Black, non-Hispanic ..........   100.0     86.1       5.9         6.5           1.4
  Men .........................   100.0     87.4       5.0         6.8            .8
  Women .......................   100.0     83.9       7.5         6.2           2.4
  
 Hispanic or Latino ...........   100.0     79.8       7.5        11.0           1.7
  Men .........................   100.0     75.0       8.2        16.0            .8
  Women .......................   100.0     85.3       6.7         5.5           2.6
  
Enrolled in high school .......   100.0      7.1      31.8        23.1          37.9
 
 Men ..........................   100.0      8.5      36.2        23.4          31.9
 Women ........................   100.0      5.7      27.3        22.7          44.4

 White, non-Hispanic ..........   100.0      5.8      30.1        22.0          42.2
  Men .........................   100.0      6.8      35.2        22.8          35.3
  Women .......................   100.0      4.7      24.7        21.1          49.5
  
 Black, non-Hispanic ..........   100.0     10.8      39.0        22.2          27.9
  Men .........................   100.0     13.0      43.8        22.4          20.8
  Women .......................   100.0      8.6      34.3        22.1          35.0

 Hispanic or Latino ...........   100.0     10.2      35.9        30.5          23.4
  Men .........................   100.0     12.9      37.1        29.2          20.9
  Women .......................   100.0      7.0      34.5        32.1          26.4


   1 Youth who have received their General Educational Development (GED) credential are
counted as high school graduates.

   NOTE:  The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 consists of young men and women 
who were ages 12 to 16 on December 31, 1996.  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.  Employment and Armed Forces enlistment status of youths not enrolled in school
the October when age 18, 1998-2003, by high school graduation status, sex, race, and
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

(Percent distribution)	
                                        Employment status the October when age 18 
                                  
  High school graduation                                                      Enlisted
   status the October            Total   Employed   Unemployed  Not in the     in the
      when age 18                                              labor force  Armed Forces

High school dropouts .........   100.0     51.5        11.3        36.8         0.5

 Men .........................   100.0     54.5        12.7        32.0          .8
 Women .......................   100.0     47.6         9.4        42.9	         (1)

 White, non-Hispanic .........   100.0     58.1        10.3        31.1          .5
 Black, non-Hispanic .........   100.0     35.5        15.2        49.2	         .1
 Hispanic or Latino ..........   100.0     50.9         8.4        40.0          .7

High school graduates, not
enrolled in college (2) ......   100.0     68.9         5.3        21.5         4.3

 Men  ........................   100.0     67.3         6.1        20.0         6.6
 Women .......................   100.0     70.6         4.3        23.1	        1.9

 White, non-Hispanic .........   100.0     73.9         4.5        17.7         3.9
 Black, non-Hispanic .........   100.0     57.3         8.4        27.5         6.7
 Hispanic or Latino ..........   100.0     63.7         3.7        28.0         4.5


   1 Less than 0.05 percent.
   2 Youth who have received their General Educational Development (GED) credential are
counted as high school graduates.

   NOTE:  The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 consists of young men and women 
who were ages 12 to 16 on December 31, 1996.  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.  Employment status the October when ages 17 and 18 in 1997-2003 of youths 
enrolled in high school at age 17 by sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

(Percent distribution)

                                     Employment status the October when ages 17 and 18

  School enrollment status                    Not      Employed     Employed    Employed
  the October when age 18                   employed   at age 17    at age 18    both
                                   Total   in either    but not     but not      years
                                            October     age 18      age 17

High school dropouts ............  100.0     32.2         12.8        27.6       27.5

 Men ............................  100.0     29.7         13.6        28.2       28.5
 Women ..........................  100.0     36.1         11.5        26.6       25.8

 White, non-Hispanic ............  100.0     23.1         12.7        32.2       31.9
 Black, non-Hispanic ............  100.0     46.4         14.3        22.0       17.3
 Hispanic or Latino .............  100.0     35.1         12.2        27.0       25.7

Enrolled in high school .........  100.0     33.9         11.1        23.4       31.6

 Men ............................  100.0     34.1         10.7        22.8       32.4
 Women ..........................  100.0     33.6         11.7        24.2       30.6

 White, non-Hispanic ............  100.0     28.0         11.5        22.8       37.7
 Black, non-Hispanic ............  100.0     49.5          9.4        22.2       18.8
 Hispanic or Latino .............  100.0     41.2         11.7        25.1       22.0

High school graduates, 
not enrolled in college (1) .....  100.0     16.3          9.8        27.6       46.3

 Men ............................  100.0     16.9          8.8        29.5       44.8
 Women ..........................  100.0     15.6         11.0        25.5       47.9

 White, non-Hispanic ............  100.0     12.7          9.6        25.1       52.6
 Black, non-Hispanic ............  100.0     27.6          7.5        30.7       34.2
 Hispanic or Latino .............  100.0     18.1         12.3        34.3       35.3

Enrolled in college .............  100.0     26.0         22.8        16.4       34.8

 Men  ...........................  100.0     29.9         23.1        16.7       30.2
 Women ..........................  100.0     23.0         22.6        16.1       38.3
 
 White, non-Hispanic ............  100.0     23.5         23.7        14.9       37.9
 Black, non-Hispanic ............  100.0     33.2         26.1        18.2       22.5
 Hispanic or Latino .............  100.0     29.7         11.6        25.4       33.3


   1 Youth who have received their General Educational Development (GED) credential are
counted as high school graduates.

   NOTE:  The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 consists of young men and women 
who were ages 12 to 16 on December 31, 1996.  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. Percent of weeks employed or not employed between the October when age 17 in
1997-2002 and the following year for youths enrolled in high school at age 17 by 
school enrollment status the October when age 18, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino
ethnicity

(Percent distribution)
                                   Between October when age 17 and 18, percent of weeks:

   School enrollment status                              Employed               Not
   the October when age 18           Total     Total    More than  20 hours   employed 
                                                         20 hours   or less

High school dropouts .............    100.0     48.3       42.6      5.7        51.1

 Men .............................    100.0     50.6       45.0      5.6        48.7
 Women ...........................    100.0     44.7       38.8      5.9        55.0

 White, non-Hispanic .............    100.0     56.5       49.3      7.2        43.0
 Black, non-Hispanic .............    100.0     36.5       33.5      3.0        63.2
 Hispanic or Latino ..............    100.0     39.4       36.0      3.5        60.2

Enrolled in high school ..........    100.0     49.1       32.2     16.9        49.8

 Men .............................    100.0     49.1       33.4     15.7        49.5
 Women ...........................    100.0     49.0       30.4     18.6        50.2

 White, non-Hispanic .............    100.0     55.0       35.7     19.3        43.4
 Black, non-Hispanic .............    100.0     35.7       23.9     11.7        63.9
 Hispanic or Latino ..............    100.0     40.4       27.8     12.6        59.4

High school graduates,
not enrolled in college (1) ......    100.0     62.0       50.7     11.3        37.1

 Men .............................    100.0     61.4       52.6      8.8        37.6
 Women ...........................    100.0     62.7       48.5     14.2        36.6
 
 White, non-Hispanic .............    100.0     67.0       54.1     12.9        31.9
 Black, non-Hispanic .............    100.0     48.6       42.8      5.9        50.7
 Hispanic or Latino ..............    100.0     55.1       45.1      9.9        44.8

Enrolled in college ..............    100.0     58.9       36.6     22.3        39.9

 Men .............................    100.0     54.0       35.8     18.2        44.4
 Women ...........................    100.0     62.6       37.2     25.5        36.4

 White, non-Hispanic .............    100.0     62.5       38.5     24.0        36.3
 Black, non-Hispanic .............    100.0     47.1       33.2     14.0        51.6
 Hispanic or Latino ..............    100.0     50.9       33.0     17.9        47.1


   1 Youth who have received their General Educational Development (GED) credential 
are counted as high school graduates.

   NOTE:  The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 consists of young men and 
women who were ages 12 to 16 on December 31, 1996.  Race and Hispanic-origin 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. 
Totals do not sum to 100 percent because it is impossible to determine the employment 
status of respondents during some weeks.








Table 6.  Job mobility of working high school students the October when 17 in 1997-2002
compared with the following year, by school enrollment status the October when 18, sex,
race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

(Percent)
                                Percent of those working both the October when age 17 
  School enrollment status     and the following year with similar job characteristics
  the October when age 18 
                                Same employer      Same occupation       Same industry

High school dropouts ..........    33.4                 32.1                 42.8

 Men ..........................    37.2                 35.0                 42.8
 Women ........................    26.9                 27.1                 42.7

 White, non-Hispanic ..........    33.0                 29.0                 41.0
 Black, non-Hispanic ..........    52.3                 55.1                 59.7
 Hispanic or Latino ...........    25.7                 30.8                 39.3

Enrolled in high school .......    54.8                 55.4                 62.0

 Men ..........................    54.8                 53.8                 62.8
 Women ........................    54.7                 57.8                 60.8

 White, non-Hispanic ..........    54.2                 55.1                 61.4
 Black, non-Hispanic ..........    63.7                 63.6                 70.8
 Hispanic or Latino ...........    51.2                 50.7                 58.9

High school graduates,
not enrolled in college (1) ...    38.3                 36.3                 43.6

 Men ..........................    37.5                 33.4                 42.1
 Women ........................    39.1                 39.3                 45.0

 White, non-Hispanic ..........    37.1                 34.5                 42.3
 Black, non-Hispanic ..........    32.9                 34.0                 38.8
 Hispanic or Latino ...........    42.4                 39.0                 47.9

Enrolled in college ...........    44.8                 44.3                 50.5

 Men ..........................    46.7                 46.2                 50.8
 Women ........................    43.7                 43.2                 50.4

 White, non-Hispanic ..........    44.7                 43.8                 51.1
 Black, non-Hispanic ..........    42.0                 44.0                 47.6
 Hispanic or Latino ...........    49.1                 53.2                 50.1


   1 Youth who have received their General Educational Development (GED) credential are
counted as high school graduates.

   NOTE:  The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 consists of young men and women 
who were ages 12 to 16 on December 31, 1996.  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.