Technical information:   (202) 691-7410          USDL 07-0452	
                http://www.bls.gov/nls/		
                                                 For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                 691-5902          Tuesday, March 27, 2007


         America's Youth at 19:  School Enrollment, Training, and
              Employment Transitions Between Ages 18 and 19

   Nineteen-year-old men were more likely to have dropped out of high school 
and less likely to be enrolled in college than 19-year-old women, the Bureau 
of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  Women 
who were high school graduates and not enrolled in college during the Octo-
ber when they were age 18 were more likely than their male counterparts to 
be attending college the following October.  Moreover, women enrolled in 
college during October when they were age 18 were less likely than men to 
have dropped out by the following October.

   These findings are from the first eight 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 19 to 25 when interviewed for the eighth time in 2004-05.  
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 18 to the October when 
they were age 19.  Respondents were age 18 in October during the years 1998 
to 2003 and age 19 in October from 1999 to 2004.  Highlights from the longi-
tudinal survey include:

 --By the October when they were age 19, 76 percent of men had graduated 
   from high school, compared with 83 percent of women.

 --Among those who had dropped out of high school by the October when they 
   were age 18, 11 percent had graduated from high school or earned a Gen-
   eral Educational Development (GED) credential by the following October.  
   Another 5 percent still had not graduated from high school but were en-
   rolled in a training or apprenticeship program, and 2 percent were reen-
   rolled in high school.

 --Nine percent of male high school graduates who had never enrolled in col-
   lege were in the Armed Forces during the October when they were age 19, 
   as were 7 percent of 19-year-old men who had attended college but were no 
   longer enrolled.

                                  - 2 -

 --Forty-one percent of high school dropouts and 22 percent of high school 
   graduates not enrolled in college were neither employed nor in training 
   during the October when they were age 19.

 --Nearly half of non-Hispanic black high school dropouts were not employed 
   in either the October when they were age 18 or the October when they were 
   age 19, compared with 22 percent of non-Hispanic whites and 30 percent of 
   Hispanics.

 --High school graduates not enrolled in college were employed 75 percent of 
   the weeks between the October when they were age 18 and the following Oc-
   tober.  By comparison, youths who had dropped out of high school by the 
   October when they were age 18 were employed 55 percent of those weeks.

Educational Attainment at Age 19

   About half of all youths were attending school during the October when 
they were age 19.  Nearly 45 percent were enrolled in college, and 4 percent 
were enrolled in high school.  Thirty-three percent had graduated from high 
school and were not enrolled in college, and 2 percent had earned a GED.  
Nearly 17 percent of youths had dropped out of high school by the October 
when they were age 19.  Men were more likely than women to have dropped out 
of high school and were less likely to be attending college.  At age 19, 
50 percent of women were attending college, compared with 39 percent of men.  
(See table 1.)

   Non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics were much more likely than non-His-
panic whites to have dropped out of high school or still be enrolled in high 
school during the October when they were age 19.  Nearly half of whites 
were enrolled in college during the October when they were age 19, compared 
to about one-third each of blacks and Hispanics.

Schooling and Training between Ages 18 and 19

   The level of educational attainment when a person first left school does 
not always indicate his or her final level of educational attainment.  Ele-
ven percent of youths who were high school dropouts in the October when they 
were age 18 had graduated from high school or earned a GED by the following 
October.  Another 2 percent had reenrolled in high school.  Moreover, nearly 
5 percent of high school dropouts were attending some kind of training or 
apprenticeship program during the October when they were age 19.  Hispanic 
dropouts were the most likely to reenroll in high school, while blacks were 
the most likely to enroll in training.  (See table 2.)

   Three-quarters of youths enrolled in high school during the October when 
they were age 18 had graduated by the following October, while 11 percent 
had dropped out of high school and 13 percent still were enrolled in high 
school.  Thirty-four percent had graduated from high school and enrolled 
in college, and 4 percent had graduated from high school and were enrolled 
in a training program.

   Many youths do not follow a continuous path while acquiring their educa-
tion.  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 18, 25 percent were enrolled in college during 
the following October.  Women were more likely than men to have had such 
delayed college enrollment.  Among high school graduates who were enroll-
ed in college during the October when they were age 18, 85 percent remain-
ed enrolled in college during the following October, and 15 percent had 
dropped out of college.

                                  - 3 -

   Five percent of youths who were high school dropouts during the October 
when they were age 18 were enrolled in some kind of training or apprentice-
ship program during the following October.  Black dropouts were about three 
times as likely as white or Hispanic dropouts to be enrolled in training.  
Among high school graduates who were not enrolled in college during the Oc-
tober when they were age 18, 6 percent were enrolled in a training or ap-
prenticeship program during the following October.

Employment and Training at Age 19 of Youths Not Enrolled in School

   At age 19, 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 to be em-
ployed during the October when they were age 19, compared to high school 
graduates with or without some college.  Black high school dropouts were 
much less likely than white or Hispanic dropouts to be employed.  Fewer than 
two-fifths of black high school dropouts were employed during the October 
when they were age 19, compared with about three-fifths of white or His-
panic high school dropouts.  (See table 3.)

   Seventy percent of high school graduates who had never enrolled in col-
lege were employed in civilian jobs during the October when they were age 19.  
Another 6 percent were enlisted in the Armed Forces, 9 percent of male grad-
uates and 2 percent of female graduates.  Among high school graduates who 
had some college experience but were not enrolled in college during the Oc-
tober when they were age 19, 73 percent were employed in civilian jobs, and 
5 percent were enlisted in the Armed Forces.

   Forty-one percent of high school dropouts were neither employed nor in 
training during the October when they were age 19.  Fifty-seven percent 
were employed, including 2 percent who were both employed and enrolled in
a training program.  Another 2 percent of high school dropouts were enroll-
ed 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 19, 76 percent were employed, including 6 percent who 
were both employed and enrolled in training.  About 2 percent were en-
rolled in training but not employed; 22 percent were neither employed nor 
in a training program.

Employment Attachment between Ages 18 and 19 of Youths Not Enrolled in School

   Among youths who were not enrolled in school during the Octobers when 
they were ages 18 or 19, employment status varied considerably by level of 
educational attainment.  Twenty-nine percent of high school dropouts were 
not employed in either October, and 38 percent were employed in both Octo-
bers.  Among high school graduates who were not enrolled in college in the 
Octobers when they were ages 18 or 19, 61 percent were employed in both Oc-
tobers, 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 18 or 19 were employed 75 percent of the weeks between the 
October when they were age 18 and the following October.  By comparison, 
high school dropouts were employed 55 percent of the weeks between the
October when they were age 18 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.  Among both high school graduates and dropouts,
three-fifths of workweeks were 40 hours or more.  (See table 6.)
 




                                  - 4 -

Technical Note

   
   The estimates in this release were obtained using data from the first
eight 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 Foun-
dation.
     
Sample

   The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 is a nationally represen-
tative sample of 8,984 young men and women who were ages 12 to 16 on Decem-
ber 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 eighth round of annual interviews took place between October 2004 and
July 2005.  This release examines the period from the October when respondents
were age 18 until the following October when respondents were 19.  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 19.  The estimates of
school enrollment status at ages 16, 17, and 18 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 liv-
ing 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 18 during calendar year 2002, whereas the oldest respondents
(birth year 1980) turned 18 during calendar year 1998.  Some respondents may
not be used in all tables if information about their work history is incomplete.
 
                                  - 5 -

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 en-
rolled.  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 train-
ing 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 pro-
grams; correspondence courses; formal company training or seminars; and gov-
ernment 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 propri-
etors 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 re-
presentation in the survey sample is not sufficiently large to provide sta-
tistically 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 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 ages 16 to 19 in 1997-2004
by sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

(Percent distribution)
                                                             School enrollment status

                                                                High school    General Educational            
           Characteristic           Total     High    Enrolled  graduates, not  Development (GED)     Enrolled
                                             school   in high    enrolled in     recipient, not          in
                                            dropouts   school     college       enrolled in college    college

Total, October when age 16 (1)....  100.0      5.5      94.2        0.1                 0.0              0.2

 Men .............................  100.0      5.5      94.3         .1                  .0               .1
 Women ...........................  100.0      5.4      94.2         .2                  .0               .3

 White, non-Hispanic .............  100.0      5.3      94.4         .1                  .0               .2
 Black, non-Hispanic .............  100.0      5.6      94.1         .1                  .0               .2
 Hispanic or Latino ..............  100.0      7.1      92.4         .3                  .0               .2

Total, October when age 17 .......  100.0      10.0     86.1        1.5                  .2              2.2

 Men .............................  100.0      10.4     86.4        1.4                  .2              1.7
 Women ...........................  100.0       9.6     85.8        1.6                  .2              2.8

 White, non-Hispanic .............  100.0       9.4     87.5        1.0                  .2              1.9
 Black, non-Hispanic .............  100.0      12.4     83.0        1.9                  .2              2.6
 Hispanic or Latino ..............  100.0      12.3     81.9        2.9                  .1              2.7

Total, October when age 18 .......  100.0      15.2     28.0       21.4                  .6             34.8

 Men .............................  100.0      16.6     32.2       21.5                  .6             29.1
 Women ...........................  100.0      13.7     23.6       21.3                  .6             40.8

 White, non-Hispanic .............  100.0      13.7     26.7       20.3                  .6             38.7
 Black, non-Hispanic .............  100.0      20.2     33.2       20.3                  .8             25.6
 Hispanic or Latino ..............  100.0      18.5     30.7       28.4                  .7             21.7

Total, October when age 19 .......  100.0      16.6     4.1        33.0                 1.6             44.5

Men ..............................  100.0      19.2     4.7        35.5                 1.5             39.1
Women ............................  100.0      13.9     3.6        30.4                 1.8             50.4

White, non-Hispanic ..............  100.0      14.6     2.7        32.2                 1.7             48.8
Black, non-Hispanic ..............  100.0      23.4     7.7        34.9                 1.7             32.4
Hispanic or Latino ...............  100.0      21.3     7.3        38.1                 1.5             31.7

   1 Respondents born in 1980 were dropped from this category because their school-enrollment histories were
not collected for the period prior to the first round of the survey.
   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 or training enrollment status during the October when age 19 in 1999-2004 by school enrollment status
during the October when age 18, 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               Have not graduated from high school       Have graduated from high school (1)
         age 18
                                    Not enrolled in    Enrolled  Enrolled in   Not enrolled in                 Enrolled in
                           Total     high school or    in high    training       college or       Enrolled in   training
                                    training program    school     program     training program    college       program

High school dropouts ..... 100.0          82.2            2.3        4.6              8.6             2.1            0.2

 Men ..................... 100.0          85.4            2.1        4.5              6.5             1.6             .1
 Women ................... 100.0          78.1            2.6        4.8             11.5             2.8             .2

 White, non-Hispanic ..... 100.0          83.0            1.6        3.5              9.6             2.4             .0
  Men .................... 100.0          87.1            1.0        3.7              6.7             1.5             .0
  Women .................. 100.0          78.5            2.1        3.2             12.9             3.3             .0

 Black, non-Hispanic ..... 100.0          80.2            2.2       10.0              6.0             1.0             .6
  Men .................... 100.0          81.8            2.1        9.7              5.4             0.4             .5
  Women .................. 100.0          77.7            2.3       10.4              7.0             1.9             .7

 Hispanic or Latino ...... 100.0          82.0            6.0        2.7              6.7             2.4             .2
  Men .................... 100.0          84.1            6.2        1.4              5.8             2.5             .0
  Women .................. 100.0          79.0            5.6        4.6              8.0             2.2             .5

Enrolled in high school .. 100.0          10.5           13.1         .0             38.2            34.0            3.9

 Men ..................... 100.0          11.4           13.2         .0             39.4            31.3            4.2
 Women ................... 100.0           9.1           13.0         .3             36.5            37.7            3.3

 White, non-Hispanic ..... 100.0           8.8            9.0         .3             38.5            39.5            3.9
  Men .................... 100.0           8.9            8.7         .5             40.4            36.9            4.5
  Women .................. 100.0           8.7            9.5         .0             35.5            43.5            2.8

 Black, non-Hispanic ..... 100.0          12.4           21.5         .9             39.8            21.1            4.2
  Men .................... 100.0          15.8           23.0         .6             39.6            18.0            3.0
  Women .................. 100.0           7.9           19.4        1.4             40.1            25.4            5.9

 Hispanic or Latino ...... 100.0          15.0           20.1         .0             39.6            21.6            3.7
  Men .................... 100.0          17.7           20.7         .0             37.9            19.6            4.1
  Women .................. 100.0          11.5           19.3         .0             41.8            24.3            3.1

High school graduates
 not enrolled in college . 100.0            -              -          -              69.4            25.0            5.6

 Men ..................... 100.0            -              -          -              72.1            21.6            6.3
 Women ................... 100.0            -              -          -              66.7            28.5            4.8

 White, non-Hispanic ..... 100.0            -              -          -              69.2            24.6            6.2
  Men .................... 100.0            -              -          -              72.2            20.7            7.1
  Women .................. 100.0            -              -          -              66.0            28.7            5.2

 Black, non-Hispanic ..... 100.0            -              -          -              72.6            24.6            2.9
  Men .................... 100.0            -              -          -              74.1            23.1            2.8
  Women .................. 100.0            -              -          -              71.1            25.9            3.0

 Hispanic or Latino ...... 100.0            -              -          -              70.1            24.9            5.1
  Men .................... 100.0            -              -          -              71.3            23.2            5.6
  Women .................. 100.0            -              -          -              68.7            26.8            4.5

Enrolled in college ...... 100.0            -              -          -              14.3            84.7            1.0

 Men ..................... 100.0            -              -          -              16.3            82.7             .9
 Women ................... 100.0            -              -          -              12.8            86.1            1.1

 White, non-Hispanic ..... 100.0            -              -          -              13.9            85.0            1.1
  Men .................... 100.0            -              -          -              15.8            83.2             .9
  Women .................. 100.0            -              -          -              12.5            86.3            1.2

 Black, non-Hispanic ..... 100.0            -              -          -              17.1            82.1             .9
  Men .................... 100.0            -              -          -              23.0            76.6             .4
  Women .................. 100.0            -              -          -              13.4            85.5            1.1

 Hispanic or Latino ...... 100.0            -              -          -              19.0            79.9            1.1
  Men .................... 100.0            -              -          -              19.5            79.4            1.1
  Women .................. 100.0            -              -          -              18.6            80.3            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.
   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 19 in 
1999-2004 by high school graduation status, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

(Percent distribution)

                                            Employment status during the October when age 19

High school graduation status
 during the October when age 19                 Employed  Enlisted in                Not in the
                                        Total   civilian  Armed Forces  Unemployed  labor force

High school dropouts................    100.0     56.2       0.7          11.8         31.3

 Men ...............................    100.0     60.5       1.2          13.2         25.1
 Women .............................    100.0     49.8       (1)           9.9         40.4

 White, non-Hispanic ...............    100.0     62.2       1.0          11.1         25.7
 Black, non-Hispanic ...............    100.0     38.5        .2          17.1         44.2
 Hispanic or Latino ................    100.0     59.8       (1)           8.7         31.5

High school graduates, never enrolled
 in college (2) ....................    100.0     69.6       5.8           6.1         18.5

 Men ...............................    100.0     69.0       9.0           6.9         15.2
 Women .............................    100.0     70.5       1.6           5.0         22.9

 White, non-Hispanic ...............    100.0     73.9       6.1           5.0         15.0
 Black, non-Hispanic ...............    100.0     55.9       6.5           9.1         28.5
 Hispanic or Latino ................    100.0     66.6       4.6           7.3         21.4

Some college, no longer enrolled ...    100.0     73.2       4.8           5.0         16.9

 Men ...............................    100.0     73.2       7.4           4.7         14.8
 Women .............................    100.0     73.3       2.5           5.3         19.0

 White, non-Hispanic ...............    100.0     74.9       5.7           3.7         15.7
 Black, non-Hispanic ...............    100.0     72.6       0.7           8.3         18.5
 Hispanic or Latino ................    100.0     65.9       4.2           7.1         22.9

   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 4.  Employment and training status of youths not enrolled in school during the October when age 19 in
1999-2004 by high school graduation status, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

(Percent distribution)

                                          Employment and training status during the October when age 19

   High school graduation status
   during the October when age 19                         Employed (1)                  Not employed
   
                                        Total     Enrolled in   Not enrolled    Enrolled in   Not enrolled
                                                   training      in training    training (2)   in training

High school dropouts .................  100.0         2.3            54.3          2.4            41.0

 Men ......................... .......  100.0         2.3            59.6          2.0            36.1
 Women ...............................  100.0         2.2            46.8          2.9            48.1

 White, non-Hispanic .................. 100.0         2.3            60.5          1.5            35.7
 Black, non-Hispanic .................. 100.0         3.0            35.5          5.9            55.6
 Hispanic or Latino ................... 100.0         1.7            57.3          0.5            40.5

High school graduates, not enrolled
 in college (3) ....................... 100.0         5.6            70.5          1.7            22.2

 Men .................................. 100.0         6.2            72.4          1.6            19.8
 Women ................................ 100.0         4.8            68.3          1.8            25.1

 White, non-Hispanic .................. 100.0         6.3            74.0          1.2            18.5
 Black, non-Hispanic .................. 100.0         3.3            60.4          2.7            33.6
 Hispanic or Latino ................... 100.0         4.3            66.9          2.4            26.4

   1 The employed category includes both civilian employment and enlistment in the Armed Forces
job,
   2 Training includes any courses, training programs, or apprenticeships designed to help people find a 
improve their job skills, or learn a new job.  Training also may include a GED preparation course.
   3 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 the October when ages 18 and 19 in 1998-2004 of youths not enrolled in
school at age 18 or 19 by sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

(Percent distribution)

                                                                 Percent of youths (1)

High school graduation status                  Not employed   Employed at   Employed at   Employed
during the October when age 19                  in either     age 18, but   age 19, but     both
                                      Total      October       not age 19    not age 18     years

High school dropouts ...............  100.0       29.2            14.6           18.7        37.5

 Men ...............................  100.0       26.0            13.5           18.2        42.3
 Women .............................  100.0       33.4            16.1           19.4        31.1

 White, non-Hispanic ...............  100.0       21.5            16.2           20.1        42.2
 Black, non-Hispanic ...............  100.0       48.2            13.9           15.5        22.4
 Hispanic or Latino ................  100.0       30.1            11.5           16.5        41.9

High school graduates, not enrolled
 in college (2) ............ .......  100.0        9.9            11.6           17.4        61.2

 Men ...............................  100.0        7.9            10.3           16.2        65.6
 Women .............................  100.0       12.0            12.9           18.6        56.4

 White, non-Hispanic ...............  100.0        7.5            11.6           15.5        65.4
 Black, non-Hispanic ...............  100.0       17.6            14.1           18.0        50.2
 Hispanic or Latino ................  100.0       12.8            11.6           19.1        56.5

   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 6. Percent of weeks employed or not employed between the October when ages 18 and 19 for youths
not enrolled in school during October at ages 18 and 19 by high school graduation status, sex, race,
and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

(Percent distribution)

                                       Percent of weeks, between October when ages 18 and 19

  High school graduation status                             Employed (1)                    Not 
  during the October when age 19        Total                                            employed
                                                Total   1 to 29   30 to 39    40 hours   
                                                         hours      hours      or more

High school dropouts ..............     100.0    54.5      8.9      11.3        33.5        45.5

 Men ..............................     100.0    58.2      7.2      11.4        38.6        41.8
 Women ............................     100.0    49.6     11.1      11.2        26.6        50.4

 White, non-Hispanic ..............     100.0    61.7      8.6      13.2        39.1        38.3
 Black, non-Hispanic ..............     100.0    36.0      9.6       6.6        18.9        64.0
 Hispanic or Latino ...............     100.0    53.0      8.6       9.3        34.8        47.0

High school graduates, not enrolled
 in college (2) ...................     100.0    75.2     14.7      14.1        45.2        24.8

 Men ..............................     100.0    78.6     11.4      12.9        53.1        21.4
 Women ............................     100.0    71.5     18.4      15.4        36.6        28.5

 White, non-Hispanic ..............     100.0    78.7     14.5      15.2        48.1        21.3
 Black, non-Hispanic ..............     100.0    65.5     14.9       9.9        39.1        34.6
 Hispanic or Latino ...............     100.0    71.2     13.0      14.5        42.9        28.8

   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
   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-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.  Some categories do not sum to the totals because employment
status or work hours could not be determined for some respondents during some weeks.