Technical information:  (202) 691-7410       USDL 01-479
               http://www.bls.gov/nls/
                                             For release:  10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact:                691-5902       Thursday, December 20, 2001
                                     
                                     
              EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE OF YOUTHS:  RESULTS FROM
              THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF A LONGITUDINAL SURVEY
   
   
   Youths who work at an early age are more likely to continue working as
they get older.  Eighty-five percent of youths who engaged in work
activities while age 14 continued to work while age 15, and 90 percent of
youths who worked while age 15 continued to work while age 16.
   
   These findings are from the first three annual rounds of the National
Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, which is sponsored by the Bureau of
Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor.  The survey includes a
nationally representative 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 the oldest were age 20 when
interviewed a third time in 1999-2000.  The survey provides information on
the employment experiences, schooling, family background, social behavior,
and other characteristics of these youths.
   
   This release focuses on the employment experiences of these youths.
Results from the survey classify youths into one of two job categories:
Those with "employee" jobs, in which youths have an ongoing formal
relationship with a particular employer, such as a restaurant or
supermarket; and those with "freelance" jobs, in which youths perform one
or a few tasks for several people, such as babysitting or yard work, but
have no formal job arrangement with any "boss."  Highlights from the
longitudinal survey include:
   
   --Attachment to the formal or "employee" labor market often forms while in
high school.  Nearly 65 percent of working students who were age 15 at the
beginning of the 1998-99 school year worked at an employee job at some time
during both the school year and the following summer, as did 75 percent of
working students age 16 and 78 percent of working students age 17.

   --The percent of students employed during any week of the 1998-99 school
year and in the following summer remained fairly stable from September to
February and increased during the spring.  The percent employed then rose
sharply in early summer, peaking during July.  

   --Female youths were less likely than male youths to hold an employee job
while age 15.  By age 17, this gender gap disappeared.  Nearly 80 percent
of male and female youths held an employee job while age 17.  (See table 2.)

   --Youths who worked exclusively at freelance jobs while age 14 were very
likely to continue working at freelance jobs while age 15.  As youths moved
from age 15 to age 16, however, they became more likely to move from
freelance jobs to employee jobs.
   
                                  - 2 -

Youths in Employee Jobs During the 1998-99 School Year and the Following
Summer
   
   Working while in school was fairly common among high school students
during the 1998-99 school year.  Moreover, the percent of enrolled youths
who worked at an employee job at some point during the school year was
substantially higher at each successive age.  (See table 1.)  The percent
of enrolled youths who worked in an employee job during the 1998-99
academic year ranged from 44 percent for youths who were age 15 at the
beginning of the school year to 67 percent for those who were age 16 and to
78 percent for those who were age 17.
   
   Attachment to the formal or "employee" labor market often forms while
in high school.  Of all students who worked, nearly 65 percent of those who
were age 15 at the beginning of the school year worked during both the
school year and the following summer, as did 75 percent of working youths
age 16 and 78 percent of working youths age 17.
   
   A different measure of youth employment during the 1998-99 school year
and the following summer is the percent of enrolled youths working each
week.  For 15-, 16-, and 17-year-olds, the week-by-week incidence of employ-
ment remained relatively stable between September and February, increased in 
the spring, and accelerated in early summer to a peak in mid-summer.  Employ-
ment dropped sharply at the end of the summer.
   
   The percent of youths working during a given school week in the fall
was twice as large at age 16 as at age 15.  About 20 percent of youths who
were age 15 at the start of the 1998-99 school year worked during a typical
week in the fall, as did about 40 percent of youths who were age 16.  About
50 percent of enrolled youths who were age 17 at the beginning of the
school year worked during any given school week in the fall.  During the
employment peak in mid-summer, the differences narrowed in the proportions
of 15-, 16-, and 17-year-olds who were employed.

Work Activity of Youths While Ages 15, 16, and 17
   
   Eighty-three percent of youths worked in some capacity while age 17.
(See table 2.)  Youths at this age increasingly entered formal work
arrangements, working more in employee jobs and less in freelance jobs.
The percent of youths who worked at an employee job while age 17 was twice
as large as the percent of youths who worked at an employee job while age
15.  Likewise, the percent of youths who worked at freelance jobs while age
17 was less than half the percent who worked at freelance jobs while age 15.
   
   Forty-three percent of male youths held an employee job while age 15,
compared with 35 percent of female youths.  Female 15-year-olds were much
more likely than their male counterparts to work at freelance jobs (47
percent versus 32 percent).  By age 17, nearly 80 percent of both male and
female youths held employee jobs, although female 17-year-olds were more
likely than their male counterparts to combine freelance work with employee
jobs.
   
                                  - 3 -

   Older youths were not only more likely to work in employee jobs, but,
when they did work, they also worked more weeks.  While age 17, youths
worked in employee jobs an average of 34 weeks, compared with an average of
24 weeks for employed 15-year-olds.  (See table 3.)
   
   Differences in employment activities are apparent by race and Hispanic
origin.  Among 15-year-olds, 45 percent of non-Hispanic whites held an
employee job, compared with 27 percent of non-Hispanic blacks and 28
percent of Hispanics.  Regardless of race or Hispanic origin, the percent
of youths who worked at an employee job was substantially higher at age 17
than at age 15.  The percent of non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics who
worked at employee jobs while age 17, however,  remained well below that of
their non-Hispanic white counterparts.  When employed, non-Hispanic black
youths and Hispanic youths worked fewer weeks than did non-Hispanic white
youths.  For example, among those age 17, employed non-Hispanic white youths 
averaged 35 weeks of work, non-Hispanic black youths averaged 28 weeks of 
work, and Hispanic youths averaged 30 weeks of work.
   
Employment at Successive Ages
   
   Youths who worked at one age were more likely to work at the following
age.  Eighty-five percent of youths who engaged in work activities while
age 14 continued to work while age 15; 90 percent of youths who worked
while age 15 continued to work while age 16; and 91 percent who worked
while age 16 continued to work while age 17.  (See tables 4, 5, and 6.)
Only one-third of youths who did not engage in work activities while age 14
worked while age 15.  By comparison, 58 percent of youths who did not work
at age 15 engaged in work activities while age 16, and 57 percent of youths
who did not work at age 16 worked while age 17.
   
   Freelance jobs often act as a stepping stone into the formal labor
market.  Among youths who worked exclusively at freelance jobs while age
14, 58 percent of them worked exclusively at freelance jobs while age 15, 
9 percent worked exclusively at employee jobs, and 18 percent worked at both
freelance and employee jobs.  As youths move from age 15 to age 16, they
become more likely to work at employee jobs.  Among youths who worked
exclusively at freelance jobs while age 15, only 29 percent worked
exclusively at freelance jobs while age 16; 36 percent went on to work at
both freelance and employee jobs; and 22 percent worked exclusively at
employee jobs.
   
   As youths who did not work at an early age grow older, the pathway to
employment is less likely to include a freelance job.  Two-thirds of youths
who were not employed while age 14 did not work while age 15, but those who
did enter the labor market when they reached age 15 were twice as likely to
work exclusively at employee jobs than at freelance jobs or to combine
freelance work with employee jobs.  Among youths who did not work while age
15 or 16, nearly half entered the labor market directly into employee jobs
when they reached the following age.

                       _____________________________

   A Portable Document Format (PDF) version of this news release is available 
online at http://www.bls.gov/nls/.
Technical Note

   
   The estimates in this release were obtained using data from the National
Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97).  The NLSY97 is the newest
survey in the National Longitudinal Surveys program.  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 is 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, and the National Insti-
tute 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 
representative sample of 8,984 young men and women who were ages 12 to 16 
on December 31, 1996.  This sample is composed of two subsamples:  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; and a supplemental sample of youths designed to 
oversample Hispanic and black youths living in the U.S. in 1997 and born 
between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 1984.  The third round of annual 
interviews took place between November 1, 1999, and May 1, 2000, and all 
results are weighted using the third-round survey weights that correct for 
oversampling and nonresponse.  When weighted, the data represent all Americans 
living in the U.S. in 1997 and born in the years 1980 to 1984.
   
   Sample size varies both between and within tables.  For example, in
table 2, to be included in the section "While age 15," which refers to the
entire year between an individual's 15th and 16th birthdays, a youth need
only to have reached his or her 16th birthday.  To be included in the
similar category in table 5, which relates employment status while age 15
with employment status while age 16, a youth must have reached his or her
17th birthday.
   
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.  For example, tables 4, 5,
and 6 report employment by age, contingent on the previous age's employment.  
The youngest respondents in the sample (birth year 1984) were these ages 
during 1999-2000, whereas the oldest respondents (birth year 1980) were these 
ages from 1995-98.
                                  
                                  - 2 -
   
Definitions
   
   Freelance job.  A freelance job involves doing one or a few tasks without 
a specific "boss," like babysitting or mowing lawns, or working for oneself.
   
   Employee job.  An employee job is one in which the youth has an ongoing
relationship with a particular employer, such as working in a supermarket
or restaurant.
   
   The respondent is read the following introduction prior to survey questions 
about freelance and employee jobs:
   
   "We are going to discuss two sorts of jobs with you.  We'll call one
type working as a freelancer or being self-employed:  that is, working one
or a few tasks for several people and not having a 'boss' (for example,
babysitting or mowing lawns) or working for yourself (for example, running
a business)."
   
   "We'll refer to the second type as working as an employee:  that is, you
had an ongoing relationship with a particular employer (for example,
working in a supermarket or restaurant, or being in the military)."
   
   Age categories.  The term "while age x" refers to the entire year between
birthday "x" and the following birthday.  The estimates shown in this
release for each age category exclude respondents who had not yet reached
their next birthday at the time of the interview--and thus were not able to
provide the full year's worth of information for that age.  For example,
"While age 15" refers to the entire year between an individual's 15th and
16th birthdays.  The category excludes individuals who had not yet turned
age 16 at the time of the interview.
   
   1998-99 school year and following summer.  The school term is defined as
the period from September 1998 through May 1999.  The summer is composed of
June, July, and August of 1999.
   
   Enrolled.  Individuals were not considered enrolled if they received a
high school diploma before April 1999 or if they were not enrolled for a
period of two or more consecutive months during the school year.
   
   Race and Hispanic origin.  In this release, the findings are reported
for non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and Hispanics.  These groups
are mutually exclusive but not exhaustive.  Other race groups, which are
included in the overall totals, are not shown separately because their
representation in the survey sample is not sufficiently large to provide
statistically reliable estimates.  In other BLS publications, estimates are
published for whites, blacks, and Hispanics, but these groups usually are
not mutually exclusive.  The term "Hispanic" is considered to be an ethnic
group, and Hispanics can be of any race.  Most other BLS publications
include estimates for Hispanics in the white and black race groups in
addition to the Hispanic ethnic group.
   
   Information in this release will be made available to sensory-impaired
individuals upon request.  Voice phone:  202-691-5200; TDD message referral
phone: 1-800-877-8339.
Table 1.  Percent of enrolled youths with an employee job during the 1998-99 school year and the
following summer by age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, grade in school, and timing of employment 
                    


                                Percent of   Percent who worked during the school year Percent who    
                               students who                                           worked during
Age as of September 1, 1998,   ever worked              Worked during  Worked during   summer only 
     and characteristic                        Total     school year    school year                 
                                                          and summer       only
                                                             
                            
     Total, age 15...........      59.4         44.1        38.5            5.6           15.3
                    
Male youths..................      61.7         47.1        41.5            5.6           14.6
Female youths................      57.0         41.0        35.3            5.6           16.1
                    
White non-Hispanic...........      67.4         50.9        45.2            5.7           16.5
Black non-Hispanic...........      45.0         28.2        22.3            6.0           16.8
Hispanic origin .............      45.4         35.8        29.3            6.5            9.7
                     
Grade 9......................      46.5         33.8        25.8            8.0           12.6
Grade 10.....................      64.7         47.8        43.0            4.8           17.0
                          
     Total, age 16...........      77.4         67.0        58.2            8.8           10.4
                    
Male youths..................      78.5         67.0        59.8            7.3           11.5
Female youths................      76.2         67.0        56.4           10.6            9.3
                    
White non-Hispanic...........      82.5         73.1        64.8            8.3            9.4
Black non-Hispanic...........      66.1         52.7        44.0            8.8           13.3
Hispanic origin .............      67.6         57.9        45.7           12.2            9.7
                    
Grade 10.....................      72.5         58.7        50.0            8.7           13.8
Grade 11.....................      80.3         71.0        63.4            7.6            9.2
                    
     Total, age 17...........      86.6         77.7        67.4           10.3            8.9
                    
Male youths..................      88.4         78.3        67.8           10.5           10.2
Female youths................      84.7         77.1        67.1           10.0            7.6   
                    
White non-Hispanic...........      90.1         82.6        74.0            8.6            7.5
Black non-Hispanic...........      79.3         66.1        52.3           13.9           13.2
Hispanic origin .............      77.4         69.2        57.2           12.0            8.2
                    
Grade 11.....................      81.3         71.9        63.0            8.9            9.4
Grade 12.....................      89.2         78.7        69.8            8.9           10.5
                    

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.  The school year is defined as September 1998 through May 1999, excluding the 
last full week of December 1998 and the first week of January 1999.  Summer is defined as June,
July, and August of 1999.                 
                    
Table 2.  Percent of youths employed while ages 15 to 17 in 1995-2000 by age, sex, race, 
Hispanic origin, and type of job                       
                        


                                                    Percent employed in:              
                                                                                  Both
      Age in 1995-2000             Any    Any      Any     Employee  Freelance  employee
     and characteristic            job  employee freelance   jobs      jobs       and     
                                          job      job       only      only    freelance 
                                                                                  jobs
      
      Total, while age 15 ....    64.0    38.8     39.0      25.0      25.2       13.9
                        
Male youths...................    62.4    42.6     31.8      30.6      19.7       12.0
Female youths.................    65.7    34.9     46.6      19.1      30.8       15.8
                        
White non-Hispanic............    71.8    44.6     44.5      27.3      27.2       17.3   
Black non-Hispanic............    46.0    26.7     26.4      19.6      19.3        7.1   
Hispanic origin ..............    49.4    27.6     29.0      20.3      21.7        7.3   
                        
      Total, while age 16 .....   78.4    68.1     29.2      49.2      10.4       18.9   
                        
Male youths....................   78.2    69.4     23.1      55.1       8.8       14.3   
Female youths..................   78.7    66.7     35.8      42.9      12.1       23.7   
                         
White non-Hispanic.............   85.0    74.5     33.2      51.8      10.5       22.7   
Black non-Hispanic.............   62.7    53.3     19.7      43.0       9.4       10.3   
Hispanic origin ...............   67.1    57.5     21.5      45.6       9.6       11.9   
                         
      Total, while age 17 .....   83.0    77.7     17.6      65.4       5.4       12.3   
                         
Male youths....................   81.9    78.1     13.3      68.6       3.8        9.6   
Female youths..................   84.2    77.2     22.1      62.1       7.0       15.1   
                        
White non-Hispanic.............   88.8    83.0     20.0      68.7       5.8       14.3   
Black non-Hispanic.............   68.2    63.3     13.0      55.2       4.9        8.1   
Hispanic origin ...............   74.1    71.2     10.5      63.6       3.0        7.5   
                        
                        
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.                    
                        
                        
                        
                        
Table 3.  Percent of youths ages 15 to 17 in 1995-2000 with an
employee job and average number of weeks worked, by age, sex, 
race, and Hispanic origin
            

                                    
                                   Percent with        Average
        Age in 1995-2000           an employee        number of
       and characteristic              job           weeks worked  
      
      Total, while age 15 ......       38.8              24.3
            
Male youths.....................       42.6              25.1
Female youths...................       34.9              23.3
                
White non-Hispanic..............       44.6              25.5  
Black non-Hispanic..............       26.7              19.1
Hispanic origin ................       27.6              21.2
            
      Total, while age 16 ......       68.1              28.7
            
Male youths.....................       69.4              28.8
Female youths...................       66.7              28.7
                
White non-Hispanic..............       74.5              30.0
Black non-Hispanic..............       53.3              24.5
Hispanic origin ................       57.5              26.1
            
     Total, while age 17 .......       77.7              33.6
                    
Male youths.....................       78.1              32.7
Female youths...................       77.2              34.6
            
White non-Hispanic..............       83.0              35.3
Black non-Hispanic..............       63.3              28.4
Hispanic origin ................       71.2              30.4
            
             
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.  
Table 4.  Employment status of youths while age 15 in 1994-2000 by their employment
status at age 14                                

(Percent)                                


                                                     Worked while age 15              
                                                                           Both             
      Employment status while age 14         Total  Employee  Freelance  employee    Did not  
                                                      jobs      jobs        and     work while
                                                      only      only     freelance    age 15
                                                                           jobs
Total                                
   Worked ................................    85.3    26.8      36.3       22.2        14.7
       Employee jobs only ................    82.6    73.0       3.1        6.5        17.4
       Freelance jobs only..... ..........    84.5     8.7      57.7       18.1        15.5
       Both employee and freelance jobs...    91.5    21.4      13.5       56.6         8.5
   Did not work ..........................    33.7    22.1       9.5        2.1        66.3
                                
Male youths                                
   Worked ................................    85.0    35.7      29.3       20.0        15.0
       Employee jobs only ................    84.9    76.1       2.7        6.1        15.1
       Freelance jobs only ...............    83.0    11.2      55.1       16.7        17.0
       Both employee and freelance jobs...    89.7    25.4      12.8       51.5        10.3
   Did not work ..........................    33.1    23.7       7.6        1.8        66.9
                                            
Female youths                                            
   Worked ................................    85.6    18.2      43.1       24.4        14.4
       Employee jobs only ................    77.9    66.7       3.9        7.3        22.1
       Freelance jobs only..... ..........    85.5     7.0      59.5       19.1        14.5
       Both employee and freelance jobs...    93.5    16.7      14.3       62.4         6.5
   Did not work ..........................    34.5    20.3      11.6        2.5        65.6
                                           

NOTE:  The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 consists of young men and women who
were ages 12 to 16 on December 31, 1996. 
Table 5.  Employment status of youths while age 16 in 1994-2000 by their employment
status at age 15                                

(Percent)                                


                                                     Worked while age 16          
                                                                          Both             
     Employment status while age 15         Total  Employee  Freelance  employee    Did not
                                                     jobs      jobs       and      work while
                                                     only      only    freelance     age 16
                                                                          jobs             
Total                                
   Worked ................................   89.9    49.4      13.5       27.0        10.1
       Employee jobs only ................   89.9    84.1       1.5        4.3        10.1
       Freelance jobs only..... ..........   87.0    21.5      29.4       36.2        13.0
       Both employee and freelance jobs...   95.0    38.8       5.7       50.5         5.0
   Did not work ..........................   57.5    48.5       4.9        4.1        42.5
                                
Male youths                                
   Worked ................................   89.2    57.5      11.5       20.2        10.8
       Employee jobs only ................   90.3    85.4       1.4        3.6         9.7      
       Freelance jobs only ...............   85.1    26.6      30.2       28.3        14.9     
       Both employee and freelance jobs...   93.2    40.0       5.9       47.4         6.8     
   Did not work ..........................   58.7    50.7       4.1        3.8        41.3   
                                            
Female youths                                            
   Worked ................................   90.5    41.1      15.4       34.0         9.5       
       Employee jobs only ................   89.1    81.9       1.6        5.6        10.9    
       Freelance jobs only..... ..........   88.4    17.8      28.8       41.7        11.6   
       Both employee and freelance jobs...   96.5    37.8       5.5       53.1         3.5
   Did not work ..........................   56.1    46.0       5.7        4.5        43.9   
                                            

NOTE:  The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 consists of young men and women who 
were ages 12 to 16 on December 31, 1996.
Table 6.  Employment status of youths while age 17 in 1994-2000 by their employment
status at age 16                                

(Percent)                                


                                                      Worked while age 17          
                                                                           Both       
       Employment status while age 16        Total  Employee  Freelance  employee     Did not
                                                      jobs      jobs       and      work while  
                                                      only      only    freelance     age 17
                                                                           jobs
Total                                  
   Worked ................................    90.7    70.2       5.8       14.6         9.3
       Employee jobs only ................    91.3    88.0        .5        2.9         8.6
       Freelance jobs only..... ..........    78.1    25.9      30.7       21.5        21.9               
       Both employee and freelance jobs...    96.3    49.9       5.3       41.2         3.7
   Did not work ..........................    56.7    49.2       4.0        3.5        43.3
                            
Male youths                                
   Worked ................................    89.1    73.4       4.1       11.6        10.9
       Employee jobs only ................    90.6    86.7        .4        3.4         9.4
       Freelance jobs only ...............    71.3    26.1      23.3       22.0        28.7
       Both employee and freelance jobs...    95.1    53.0       5.7       36.5         4.9
   Did not work ..........................    56.9    52.6       2.1        2.2        43.1
                                            
Female youths                                            
   Worked ................................    91.7    66.9       7.7       17.1         7.7
       Employee jobs only ................    92.4    89.6        .5        2.3         7.6
       Freelance jobs only..... ..........    83.3    25.8      36.3       21.2        16.7
       Both employee and freelance jobs...    97.1    47.8       5.0       44.3         2.9
   Did not work ..........................    56.5    45.5       6.1        4.9        43.6 
                                         
NOTE:  The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 consists of young men and women who 
were ages 12 to 16 on December 31, 1996.