1

Technical information: (202) 691-7410

 http://www.bls.gov/nls/

Media contact: (202) 691-5902

USDL 08-0089

For release: 10:00 A.M. EST

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

AMERICA’S YOUTH AT 20: SCHOOL ENROLLMENT, TRAINING, AND

EMPLOYMENT TRANSITIONS BETWEEN AGES 19 AND 20

Twenty-year-old male high school graduates were less likely to be enrolled in college than 20-year-old

women while men who had been enrolled were more likely to drop out, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the

U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Women were more likely to have graduated from high school,

and those who had graduated were more likely to attend college. In addition, women enrolled in college

during October when they were age 19 were less likely than their male counterparts to have dropped out

by the following October.

These findings are from the first nine annual rounds of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997,

which is a nationally representative survey 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 20

to 26 when interviewed for the ninth time in 2005-06. 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 19 to the October when they were age 20. Respondents were age 19 in

October during the years 1999 to 2004 and age 20 in October from 2000 to 2005. Highlights from the

longitudinal survey include:

By the October when they were age 20, 79 percent of men had graduated from high school

compared with 84 percent of women.

Among those who had dropped out of high school by the October when they were age 19,

11 percent had graduated from high school or earned a General Educational Development (GED)

credential by the following October. Another 4 percent had not graduated but were enrolled in

a training or apprenticeship program and few had reenrolled in high school.

Ten percent of male high school graduates who had never enrolled in college were in the Armed

Forces during the October when they were age 20, as were 7 percent of the 20-year-old men

who had attended college but were no longer enrolled.

Forty-two percent of high school dropouts and 20 percent of high school graduates not

enrolled in college were neither employed nor in training during the October when they were

age 20.

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News

Bureau of Labor Statistics Washington, D.C. 20212

United States

Department 

of Labor
2

Among high school dropouts who were not enrolled in school, 43 percent of non-Hispanic blacks

were not employed in either the October when they were age 19 or the October when they were

age 20 compared with 22 percent of non-Hispanic whites and 26 percent of Hispanics.

High school graduates not enrolled in college were employed 78 percent of the weeks between the

October when they were age 19 and the following October. By comparison, youths who had dropped out of high school by the October when they were age 19 were employed, on average, 55 percent of those weeks.

Educational Attainment at Age 20

Forty-two percent of youths were enrolled in college during the October when they were age 20, down

from 45 percent of 19-year-olds. Thirty-nine percent of 20-year-olds had graduated from high school and

were not enrolled in college and 2 percent had earned a GED and were not enrolled in college. Fifteen

percent of youths had dropped out of high school by the October when they were age 20. Men were more

likely than women to have dropped out of high school and less likely to be attending college. At age 20,

47 percent of women were attending college compared with 38 percent of men. (See table 1.)

Non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics were much more likely than non-Hispanic whites to be high school

dropouts at age 20. Blacks and Hispanics also were less likely than whites to be enrolled in college during

the October when they were age 20. Twenty-three percent of blacks and 20 percent of Hispanics had

neither finished high school nor earned a GED by the October when they were age 20 compared with

13 percent of whites. Moreover, 46 percent of whites were enrolled in college compared with 31 percent

of blacks or Hispanics.

Schooling and Training between Ages 19 and 20

The level of educational attainment when a person first left school does not always indicate his or her final

level of educational attainment. Eleven percent of youths who were high school dropouts in the October they

were age 19 had graduated from high school or earned a GED by the following October. Whites who were

dropouts in the October when age 19 were more likely than blacks or Hispanics to have graduated from high

school or earned a GED by the following October. (See table 2.)

Some youths delay their college enrollment for a year or more after high school and others enroll in

college and then leave before earning a degree. Among high school graduates not enrolled in college during

the October when they were age 19, 15 percent were enrolled in college during the following October.

Seventeen percent of youths attending college during the October when they were age 19 had left college

by the following October while 82 percent remained in college and 1 percent were enrolled in a training

program.

Instead of attending school, some youths enroll in training to further their skills. Four percent of those

who were high school dropouts in the October when age 19 attended some kind of training or apprenticeship program during the October when they were age 20. Likewise, 5 percent of high school graduates not

enrolled in college at age 19 were enrolled in training at age 20.

Employment and Training at Age 20 of Youths Not Enrolled in School

At age 20, labor force status differed substantially between high school dropouts, high school graduates

who had never attended college, and youths who had left college. High school dropouts were the least likely

of these groups to be employed during the October when they were age 20. Black high school dropouts

were more likely not to be in the labor force than to be employed. Forty-two percent of black high school

•

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3

dropouts were employed or in the Armed Forces during the October when they were age 20 compared

with 54 percent of Hispanic high school dropouts and 63 percent of white dropouts. (See table 3.)

Seventy-one percent of high school graduates who had never enrolled in college were employed in

civilian jobs during the October when they were age 20. Another 6 percent were enlisted in the Armed

Forces, 10 percent of male graduates and 2 percent of female graduates. Among high school graduates

who had some college experience but were not enrolled in college during the October when they were age

20, 76 percent were employed in civilian jobs and 5 percent were enlisted in the Armed Forces. Women

with some college experience but no longer enrolled were more likely than their male counterparts to be

employed in civilian jobs; among high school dropouts and high school graduates who had never attended

college, men were more likely than women to be employed in civilian jobs.

Forty-two percent of high school dropouts were neither employed nor in training during the October

when they were age 20. Fifty-six percent were employed, including 3 percent who were both employed

and enrolled in a training program. Another 2 percent of high school dropouts were enrolled in training but

not employed. Among high school dropouts, women were more likely than men to be neither employed nor

in training. Blacks were more likely than whites or Hispanics to be neither employed nor in training. (See

table 4.)

Among high school graduates not enrolled in college during the October when they were age 20, 79 percent were employed, including 5 percent who were both employed and enrolled in training. About 1 percent

were enrolled in training but not employed; 20 percent were neither employed nor in a training program.

Employment Attachment between Ages 19 and 20 of Youths Not Enrolled in School

Among youths who were not enrolled in school during the Octobers when they were ages 19 or 20,

employment status varied considerably by level of educational attainment. Twenty-eight percent of high

school dropouts were not employed in either October and 39 percent were employed in both Octobers.

Among high school graduates who were not enrolled in college in the Octobers when they were ages 19

or 20, 67 percent were employed in both Octobers and 10 percent were employed in neither October.

(See table 5.)

High school graduates not enrolled in college during the Octobers when they were ages 19 or 20 were

employed 78 percent of the weeks between the October when they were age 19 and the following October.

By comparison, high school dropouts were employed 55 percent of the weeks, on average, between the

October when they were age 19 and the following October. Regardless of the level of educational attainment, men were employed a larger percent of weeks than women and whites were employed a larger

percent of weeks than blacks or Hispanics. Men were more likely than women to work 40 hours or more

per week. Male high school dropouts worked 40 hours or more 43 percent of the weeks between the

October when they were 19 and the following October compared with 25 percent of weeks for female

dropouts. (See table 6.)

 Email Notification About NLS Data

 BLS is currently offering timely email alerts about changes to the NLS program. About

every 2 months, users can receive messages alerting them of NLS product updates including

the NLS News newsletter, user conferences, data changes, and important NLS publications.

To subscribe, use the form at http://www.bls.gov/nls/nls_subscribe.htm.
Technical Note

The estimates in this release were obtained using data from

the first nine 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, the

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of

the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the

National Science Foundation.

Sample

The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 is a

nationally representative 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 between 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 ninth round of annual interviews took place between

October 2005 and June 2006. This release examines the period

from the October when respondents were age 19 until the

following October when respondents were age 20. All results

except the first three age categories of table 1 are weighted

using the survey weights from the round in which the

respondents were age 20. The estimates of school enrollment

status at ages 17, 18, and 19 use the survey weights from the

round in which the respondents were those ages. The survey

weights correct for oversampling of some demographic groups

and nonresponse. When weighted, the data represent all

people 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. NLSY97 sample members remain eligible to be

interviewed during military service or if they become

incarcerated or institutionalized.

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 19 during calendar year

2003, whereas the oldest respondents (birth year 1980) turned

19 during calendar year 1999. Some respondents may not be used

in all tables if information about their work history is incomplete.

Definitions

School enrollment status. If a respondent was enrolled in

high school or college at any point during the month of

October, he or she is counted as enrolled. If a respondent

reported no school enrollment during October and also had not

earned a high school diploma or General Educational

Development (GED) credential, he or she is counted as a high

school dropout.

Training. The NLSY97 obtains information on formal

training experiences outside of regular schooling. The training

questions explore what kinds of training respondents obtain,

where and when they are trained, how the training is paid for,

and what skills are acquired. Training programs include:

Business or secretarial training; vocational, technical, or trade

training; vocational rehabilitation centers; licensed practical

nursing or registered nursing programs; apprenticeship

programs; adult basic education and GED programs;

correspondence courses; formal company training or seminars;

and government training.

Employed. The NLSY97 collects employment histories for

civilian jobs and military service. Respondents are classified

as employed if they did any work during the specified time

period 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, or if they were enlisted in the Armed Forces.

Unemployed. Respondents are classified as unemployed if

they did not work during the specified time period but reported

that they looked for work or were on layoff 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

the specified time period.

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 usually are published for whites, blacks, and

Hispanics or Latinos, but these groups are not mutually

exclusive. “Hispanic or Latino” is considered to be an ethnic

group, and people in that group can be of any race. Most other

BLS publications include estimates for Hispanics or Latinos in

the white and black race groups in addition to the Hispanic or

Latino ethnic group.

Information in this release will be made available to sensoryimpaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-

5200; TDD message referral phone: 1-800-877-8339.

•

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(Percent distribution)

Total

Total, October when age 17 ............ 100.0 10.0 86.1 1.4 0.2 2.2

Men .......................................... 100.0 10.4 86.5 1.3 0.2 1.6

Women ..................................... 100.0 9.7 85.8 1.6 0.2 2.8

White, non-Hispanic ................................... 100.0 9.4 87.5 1.0 0.2 1.9

Black, non-Hispanic .................................... 100.0 12.4 83.0 1.9 0.2 2.6

Hispanic or Latino ......................................... 100.0 12.4 82.1 2.7 0.1 2.6

Total, October when age 18 ............ 100.0 15.2 28.0 21.4 0.6 34.8

Men .......................................... 100.0 16.6 32.2 21.4 0.6 29.1

Women ..................................... 100.0 13.7 23.6 21.3 0.6 40.8

White, non-Hispanic ................................... 100.0 13.7 26.7 20.3 0.6 38.7

Black, non-Hispanic .................................... 100.0 20.2 33.2 20.3 0.8 25.5

Hispanic or Latino ......................................... 100.0 18.6 30.9 28.1 0.7 21.7

Total, October when age 19 ............ 100.0 16.6 4.2 33.0 1.6 44.6

Men .......................................... 100.0 19.2 4.7 35.5 1.5 39.1

Women ..................................... 100.0 13.9 3.6 30.4 1.8 50.3

White, non-Hispanic ................................... 100.0 14.6 2.8 32.2 1.7 48.8

Black, non-Hispanic .................................... 100.0 23.3 7.7 34.8 1.7 32.5

Hispanic or Latino ......................................... 100.0 21.3 7.6 37.8 1.5 31.8

Total, October when age 20 ............ 100.0 15.4 1.2 38.9 2.1 42.4

Men .......................................... 100.0 17.7 1.4 41.4 2.0 37.6

Women ..................................... 100.0 13.0 1.1 36.3 2.2 47.4

White, non-Hispanic ................................... 100.0 13.1 0.8 38.0 2.0 46.0

Black, non-Hispanic .................................... 100.0 23.3 2.1 41.6 2.4 30.7

Hispanic or Latino ......................................... 100.0 20.1 1.9 44.4 2.3 31.3

 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. 

 Characteristic

Table 1. School enrollment status of youths during the October when ages 17 to 20 in 1997-2005 by sex, race, and 

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity 

School enrollment status

High school 

dropouts

Enrolled in 

high school

High school 

graduates, not 

enrolled in 

college

General 

Educational 

Development 

(GED) 

recipients, not 

enrolled in 

college

Enrolled in 

college
...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

)

...

...

...

...

Table 2. School or training enrollment status during the October when age 20 in 2000-2005 by school 

enrollment status during the October when age 19, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

(Percent distribution)

School enrollment status during

the October when age 19

School enrollment status during the October when age 20

Total

Have not graduated from high 

school Have graduated from high school1

Not 

enrolled in 

high 

school or 

training 

program

Enrolled in 

high 

school2

Enrolled in 

training 

program3

Not 

enrolled in 

college or 

training 

program

Enrolled in 

college2

Enrolled in 

training 

program3 

High school dropouts .................. 100.0 84.1 1.2 3.8 8.5 1.7 0.6

Men ....................................... 100.0 84.9 1.2 3.8 7.4 1.9 0.8

Women .................................... 100.0 83.0 1.3 3.8 10.1 1.4 0.3

White, non-Hispanic.................. 100.0 82.9 0.6 3.3 10.4 2.0 0.8

Men .................................... 100.0 82.9 0.7 3.3 8.8 2.9 1.4

Women ................................. 100.0 83.1 0.5 3.2 12.4 0.8 (

4

)

Black, non-Hispanic .................. 100.0 84.8 1.4 5.2 6.7 1.2 0.6

Men .................................... 100.0 85.9 2.0 5.2 6.6 0.3 (

4

)

Women ................................. 100.0 83.0 0.5 5.2 6.8 2.8 1.6

Hispanic or Latino ..................... 100.0 88.6 2.1 2.5 4.8 1.8 0.2

Men .................................... 100.0 88.4 2.1 2.8 5.1 1.1 0.4

Women ................................. 100.0 88.8 2.1 2.2 4.3 2.6 (

4

)

Enrolled in high school .................. 100.0 19.6 22.8 1.6 42.6 9.0 4.4

Men ....................................... 100.0 19.8 20.4 1.5 46.2 6.3 5.8

Women .................................... 100.0 19.2 26.2 1.7 37.6 12.8 2.5

White, non-Hispanic .................. 100.0 17.5 23.6 1.0 42.0 9.6 6.4

Men .................................... 100.0 16.4 20.7 (

4

) 50.0 4.9 8.0

Women ................................. 100.0 (

5

) (

5

) (

5

) (

5

) (

5

) (5

Black, non-Hispanic .................. 100.0 25.7 22.1 2.9 41.8 4.9 2.7

Men .................................... 100.0 27.4 18.3 4.0 44.4 2.5 3.4

Women ................................. 100.0 22.8 28.3 1.2 37.3 8.8 1.6

Hispanic or Latino ..................... 100.0 19.9 18.6 1.3 45.6 13.0 1.5

Men .................................... 100.0 19.8 20.1 1.1 44.6 11.9 2.6

Women ................................. 100.0 20.1 16.6 1.7 47.0 14.6 (

4

)
...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

Table 2. School or training enrollment status during the October when age 20 in 2000-2005 by school 

enrollment status during the October when age 19, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity—continued

(Percent distribution)

School enrollment status during

the October when age 19

School enrollment status during the October when age 20

Total

Have not graduated from high 

school Have graduated from high school1

Not 

enrolled in 

high 

school or 

training 

program

Enrolled in 

high 

school2

Enrolled in 

training 

program3

Not 

enrolled in 

college or 

training 

program

Enrolled in 

college2

Enrolled in 

training 

program3 

High school graduates, 

not enrolled in college ................. 100.0 - - - 80.1 15.4 4.5

Men ....................................... 100.0 - - - 81.1 14.4 4.5

Women .................................... 100.0 - - - 78.8 16.7 4.5

White, non-Hispanic .................. 100.0 - - - 80.0 15.0 5.0

Men .................................... 100.0 - - - 80.2 14.4 5.4

Women ................................. 100.0 - - - 79.7 15.9 4.5

Black, non-Hispanic .................. 100.0 - - - 81.0 15.0 4.0

Men .................................... 100.0 - - - 84.2 13.2 2.6

Women ................................. 100.0 - - - 77.8 16.7 5.4

Hispanic or Latino ..................... 100.0 - - - 81.6 14.7 3.7

Men .................................... 100.0 - - - 85.2 11.8 3.0

Women ................................. 100.0 - - - 77.3 18.1 4.6

Enrolled in college ........................ 100.0 - - - 17.1 81.8 1.2

Men ....................................... 100.0 - - - 17.5 80.9 1.5

Women .................................... 100.0 - - - 16.7 82.5 0.9

White, non-Hispanic .................. 100.0 - - - 15.6 83.2 1.2

Men .................................... 100.0 - - - 15.7 82.7 1.6

Women ................................. 100.0 - - - 15.6 83.6 0.8

Black, non-Hispanic .................. 100.0 - - - 22.4 75.9 1.7

Men .................................... 100.0 - - - 23.7 73.5 2.8

Women ................................. 100.0 - - - 21.5 77.5 1.0

Hispanic or Latino ..................... 100.0 - - - 24.0 74.9 1.0

Men .................................... 100.0 - - - 25.2 73.9 0.9

Women ................................. 100.0 - - - 23.0 75.9 1.1

 1 Respondents who have received a General Educational Development (GED) credential are counted as high school 

graduates.

 2 A small percent of respondents were enrolled in both formal schooling (that is, high school or college) and training. 

They are counted in the formal schooling categories only.

 3 Training includes any courses, training programs, or apprenticeships designed to help people find a job, improve their 

job skills, or learn a new job. Training also may include a GED preparation course.

 4 Less than .05 percent. 5 Estimates are not shown for groups that include fewer than 50 survey respondents.

 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. 
(Percent distribution)

Total Employed 

civilian

Enlisted in 

Armed 

Forces

Not in the 

labor force

High school dropouts ................................................100.0 55.2 0.7 10.7 33.4

Men .............................................................. 100.0 58.1 1.1 12.9 27.9

Women ............................................................. 100.0 51.1 (1) 7.6 41.2

White, non-Hispanic ............................................. 100.0 61.7 1.0 9.1 28.2

Black, non-Hispanic ............................................. 100.0 41.3 0.4 13.2 45.2

Hispanic or Latino ................................................. 100.0 54.0 (1) 12.6 33.1

High school graduates, never enrolled in college 2 ........ 100.0 70.5 6.4 7.5 15.6

Men .............................................................. 100.0 71.2 9.7 7.4 11.8

Women ............................................................. 100.0 69.6 2.0 7.6 20.8

White, non-Hispanic ............................................. 100.0 74.6 6.5 6.5 12.4

Black, non-Hispanic ............................................. 100.0 58.4 6.2 10.5 24.9

Hispanic or Latino ................................................. 100.0 69.0 6.0 6.9 18.2

Some college, no longer enrolled .................................100.0 75.9 4.6 3.7 15.7

Men .............................................................. 100.0 73.4 6.9 4.2 15.5

Women ............................................................. 100.0 78.3 2.5 3.3 15.9

White, non-Hispanic ............................................. 100.0 77.8 5.2 2.6 14.4

Black, non-Hispanic ............................................. 100.0 68.1 3.4 7.9 20.6

Hispanic or Latino ................................................. 100.0 72.7 4.8 5.0 17.5

 1 Less than 0.05 percent.

 2 Respondents who have received a 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 status of youths not enrolled in school during the October when age 20 in 2000-2005 by 

high school graduation status, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

High school graduation status

during the October when age 20

Employment status during the October when age 20

Unemployed
(Percent distribution)

Enrolled in 

training2

Not enrolled 

in training

Enrolled in 

training2

Not enrolled 

in training

High school dropouts ................................................100.0 2.5 53.6 2.0 41.9

Men ............................................................. 100.0 2.2 57.6 2.3 37.9

Women ............................................................. 100.0 3.1 47.9 1.5 47.5

White, non-Hispanic ............................................. 100.0 2.5 60.4 1.3 35.7

Black, non-Hispanic ............................................. 100.0 2.6 38.7 3.7 55.1

Hispanic or Latino .................................................100.0 1.6 53.8 1.5 43.1

High school graduates, not enrolled in college3

 ........ 100.0 4.6 73.9 1.2 20.3

Men ............................................................. 100.0 5.2 75.8 1.1 17.9

Women ............................................................. 100.0 3.9 71.6 1.3 23.2

White, non-Hispanic ............................................. 100.0 5.3 76.7 1.1 16.9

Black, non-Hispanic ............................................. 100.0 3.2 63.2 2.2 31.4

Hispanic or Latino .................................................100.0 3.4 73.6 0.9 22.1

Table 4. Employment and training status of youths not enrolled in school during the October when age 20 in 

2000-2005 by high school graduation status, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

High school graduation status

during the October when age 20

Employment and training status during the October when age 20

Total

Employed1 Not employed

 1 The employed category includes both civilian employment and enlistment in the Armed Forces.

 2 Training includes any courses, training programs, or apprenticeships designed to help people find a job, improve their 

job skills, or learn a new job. Training also may include a General Educational Development (GED) preparation course.

 3 Respondents who have received a 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. 
(Percent distribution)

Total

Employed at 

age 20 but 

not age 19

Employed 

both years

High school dropouts ........................................... 100.0 27.7 16.5 16.8 39.0

Men ......................................................... 100.0 23.4 16.1 16.0 44.5

Women ..................................................... 100.0 33.8 17.0 17.9 31.4

White, non-Hispanic ................................... 100.0 22.2 15.7 15.7 46.4

Black, non-Hispanic .................................... 100.0 43.1 16.1 20.1 20.7

Hispanic or Latino ......................................... 100.0 26.2 18.3 17.1 38.4

High school graduates, not enrolled in college2

 ........ 100.0 10.3 10.5 12.4 66.7

Men ......................................................... 100.0 8.3 9.2 11.1 71.4

Women ..................................................... 100.0 12.9 12.2 14.0 60.9

White, non-Hispanic ................................... 100.0 7.5 10.1 10.9 71.4

Black, non-Hispanic .................................... 100.0 20.3 12.7 16.9 50.0

Hispanic or Latino ......................................... 100.0 12.1 8.8 14.7 64.5

 1 The employed category includes both civilian employment and enlistment in the Armed Forces.

 

2

 Respondents who have received a 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. Employment status during the October when ages 19 and 20 in 1999-2005 of youths not enrolled in 

school at age 19 or 20 by high school graduation status, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

High school graduation status

during the October when age 20

Percent of youths1

Not 

employed

 in either 

October

Employed at 

age 19, but 

not age 20
(Percent distribution)

Total 40 hours

or more

High school dropouts ...................................... 100.0 54.5 9.1 9.5 35.0 45.5

Men .......................................................... 100.0 60.2 7.3 9.5 42.5 39.8

Women ..................................................... 100.0 46.5 11.5 9.5 24.7 53.5

White, non-Hispanic .................................... 100.0 60.3 10.1 10.7 38.8 39.7

Black, non-Hispanic .................................... 100.0 38.8 8.5 7.1 22.0 61.2

Hispanic or Latino........................................ 100.0 56.0 6.4 8.5 40.4 44.0

High school graduates, not enrolled in college 2

 ... 100.0 77.9 11.2 14.0 51.3 22.1

Men ........................................................... 100.0 81.7 8.6 11.8 59.6 18.3

Women ..................................................... 100.0 73.3 14.4 16.8 41.0 26.7

White, non-Hispanic .................................... 100.0 81.7 10.6 14.6 55.0 18.3

Black, non-Hispanic .................................... 100.0 64.2 12.4 11.7 38.7 35.8

Hispanic or Latino........................................ 100.0 76.4 12.0 13.9 49.7 23.6

Table 6. Percent of weeks employed or not employed between the October when ages 19 and 20 for youths not 

enrolled in school during October at ages 19 and 20 by high school graduation status, sex, race, and Hispanic 

or Latino ethnicity 

High school graduation status

during the October when age 20

Percent of weeks between October when ages 19 and 20

Total

Employed1

Not 

employed

 2 Respondents who have received a 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. Some categories do not sum to the totals 

because employment status or work hours could not be determined for some respondents during some weeks. 

 1 The employed category includes both civilian employment and enlistment in the Armed Forces. All weeks when 

enlisted in the Armed Forces are included in the "40 hours or more" category.

1 to 29 

hours

30 to 39 

hours