reported. Among 21-year-olds not enrolled in college, men are more likely than women to be employed in a civilian job or serving in the military.
Highlights from the longitudinal survey include:
- Among 21-year-olds, 36 percent of men were enrolled in college compared with 46 percent of women.
- Of the 20-year-olds enrolled in college, 82 percent were still enrolled when age 21. Non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics were less likely than whites to continue their college enrollment between ages 20 and 21.
-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 21, as were 6 percent of the 21-year-old men who had attended college but were no longer enrolled.
- Thirty-seven percent of high school dropouts and 19 percent of high school graduates not enrolled in college were neither employed nor in training during the October when they were age 21.
- Among high school dropouts, 39 percent of non-Hispanic blacks were not employed in either the October when they were age 20 or the October when they were age 21 compared with 24 percent of Hispanics and 19 percent of non-Hispanic whites.
- High school graduates not enrolled in college were employed an average of 77 percent of the weeks between the October when they were age 20 and the following October. By comparison, those who had dropped out of high school were employed 57 percent of those weeks.
- By age 21, about 1 in 4 young adults who had never gone to college had been employed by the same employer for 2 or more years since they left school. Five percent had never held a job since they left school.
Educational Attainment at Age 21
Forty-one percent of young adults were enrolled in college during the October when they were age 21 compared with 43 percent of 20-year-olds and 45 percent of 19-year-olds. Forty-three percent of 21-year-olds had graduated from high school and were not enrolled in college and 2 percent had earned a General Educational Development (GED) credential and were not enrolled in college. Thirteen percent were high school dropouts during the October when they were age 21.
Women were more likely than men to be enrolled in college. During the October when they were age 21, nearly half (46 percent) of women were attending college compared with 36 percent of men. This difference in college-enrollment rates stems from three factors: (1) Women were more likely to have graduated from high school; (2) among high school graduates, women were more likely to attend college; and (3) once enrolled in college, women were less likely than men to leave college between school years.
Blacks and Hispanics were less likely than whites to be enrolled in college during the October when they were age 21. Forty-four percent of whites were enrolled in college compared with 30 percent of blacks and 29 percent of Hispanics.
Schooling and Training between Ages 20 and 21
The level of educational attainment when a person first left school does not always indicate his or her final level of educational attainment. Eight percent of individuals who were high school dropouts in the October they were age 20 had graduated from high school or earned a GED by the following October.
Some people delay their college enrollment for a year or more after high school, and others enroll in college and then leave before earning a degree. Twelve percent of high school graduates not enrolled in college during the October when they were age 20 were enrolled in college the following October. Eighty-two percent of individuals attending college during the October when they were age 20 were still attending college by the following October, while 1 percent were enrolled in a training program and 17 percent were not enrolled in college or in a training program.
Instead of attending school, some young adults enroll in training to further their skills. Four percent of those who were high school dropouts in the October when age 20 and 6 percent of high school graduates not enrolled in college at that age were attending some kind of training or apprenticeship program the October when they were age 21.
Employment and Training at Age 21 of Young Adults Not Enrolled in School
At age 21, labor force status differed substantially between high school dropouts, high school graduates who had never attended college, and individuals who had left college. Those with more education were more likely to be employed in civilian jobs or in the military. In the October they were age 21, about 6 of 10 high school dropouts were employed in civilian jobs or in the military. At this same time, 72 percent of high school graduates who had never enrolled in college were employed in civilian jobs, and another 6 percent were serving in the Armed Forces, including 10 percent of all men. Among high school graduates who had some college experience but were not enrolled in college during the October when they were age 21, nearly 8 of 10 were employed in civilian jobs, and 4 percent were serving in the Armed Forces.
Within each of these educational groups, men were more likely to be working or serving in the Armed Forces in the October when age 21 than women. Sixty-nine percent of male high school dropouts were employed in the civilian labor force or serving in the Armed Forces compared to 50 percent of female dropouts. Among high school graduates, 82 percent of men and 72 percent of women who had never enrolled in college were employed or in the military, as were 85 percent of men and 79 percent of women who had attended some college but were no longer enrolled.
Enrollment in training also varies by educational level. Four percent of high school dropouts and 6 percent of high school graduates who were not enrolled in college were receiving training in the October when they were age 21. High school graduates obtained more of their training while employed. Five percent of high school graduates were both employed and receiving training in the October when they were age 21, while only 1 percent were receiving training while not employed. Among high school dropouts, 2 percent of 21-year-olds were receiving training while employed and 2 percent were receiving training while not employed.
Employment Attachment of Young Adults Not Enrolled in School
Among individuals who were not enrolled in school during the Octobers when they were ages 20 or 21, employment status varied considerably by level of educational attainment. Twenty-four percent of high school dropouts were not employed in either October, and 43 percent were employed in both Octobers. Among high school graduates ages 20 or 21 who were not enrolled in college, 10 percent were not employed in either October, and 68 percent were employed in both Octobers.
High school graduates not enrolled in college during the Octobers when they were ages 20 or 21 were employed an average of 77 percent of the weeks between the October when they were age 20 and the following October. By comparison, high school dropouts were employed 57 percent of the weeks between the October when they were age 20 and the following October. Regardless of the level of educational attainment, men were employed a larger percentage of weeks than women, and whites were employed a larger percentage 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 47 percent of the weeks between the October when they were 20 and the following October compared with 28 percent of weeks for female dropouts.
Duration of Longest Job Held
Five percent of young adults who had never enrolled in college by age 21 also had not held a job since dropping out of or graduating from high school. Forty-one percent had held a job for 1 year or less since they first left school. In this report, a job is defined as an uninterrupted period of work with a particular employer. Thirty-three percent had held a job for more than 1 year but less than 2 years, and 22 percent had held a job for 2 years or longer. Similar proportions of high school dropouts and high school graduates had never held a job since leaving school. High school dropouts were more likely than high school graduates to have held a job for 1 year or less. Dropouts were less likely than graduates to have held a job for 2 years or longer.
