Table 1. Number of jobs held by individuals from age 18 to age 40 in 1978-2004 by educational attainment, sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and age

Table 1.  Number of jobs held by individuals from age 18 to age 40 in 1978-2004 by educational 
attainment, sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and age

                                            Average number of jobs for persons ages 18 to 40
                                                               in 1978-2004
           Characteristic                     
                                           Total  Ages 18  Ages 22  Ages 26  Ages 31  Ages 36
                                            (1)    to 21    to 25    to 30    to 35    to 40

Total ...................................  10.5     3.8      3.0      2.8      2.4      2.0
 Less than a high school diploma ........  10.6     3.3      2.8      2.8      2.4      1.9
 High school graduates, no college (2) ..  10.2     3.6      2.8      2.7      2.4      2.1
 Some college or associate degree .......  10.9     3.9      3.0      2.9      2.4      2.2
 Bachelor's degree and higher (3) .......  10.7     4.1      3.5      2.9      2.2      2.0

Men .....................................  10.7     3.9      3.2      3.0      2.5      2.1
 Less than a high school diploma ........  12.0     3.9      3.3      3.3      2.7      2.1
 High school graduates, no college (2) ..  10.5     3.8      3.0      3.0      2.5      2.0
 Some college or associate degree .......  11.1     4.0      3.1      3.1      2.6      2.2
 Bachelor's degree and higher (3) .......  10.4     3.8      3.4      2.7      2.3      2.1

Women ...................................  10.3     3.6      2.9      2.7      2.2      2.0
 Less than a high school diploma ........   8.6     2.4      2.0      2.1      2.0      1.8
 High school graduates, no college (2) ..   9.8     3.4      2.5      2.5      2.3      2.1
 Some college or associate degree .......  10.7     3.8      3.0      2.8      2.3      2.1
 Bachelor's degree and higher (3) .......  11.2     4.3      3.6      3.0      2.2      1.9

White non-Hispanic ......................  10.6     3.9      3.1      2.8      2.3      2.0
 Less than a high school diploma ........  11.3     3.5      3.0      2.9      2.5      2.0
 High school graduates, no college (2) ..  10.1     3.8      2.8      2.7      2.4      2.0
 Some college or associate degree .......  11.1     4.1      3.1      3.0      2.4      2.1
 Bachelor's degree and higher (3) .......  10.7     4.1      3.5      2.8      2.2      1.9

Black non-Hispanic ......................  10.1     3.0      2.7      2.8      2.4      2.1
 Less than a high school diploma ........   9.2     2.3      2.4      2.7      2.2      1.9
 High school graduates, no college (2) ..  10.3     3.0      2.6      2.8      2.5      2.1
 Some college or associate degree .......  10.0     3.2      2.7      2.8      2.5      2.2
 Bachelor's degree and higher (3) .......  10.5     3.6      3.4      3.1      2.6      2.2

Hispanic or Latino ......................  10.0     3.4      2.7      2.7      2.7      2.0
 Less than a high school diploma ........   9.8     3.3      2.5      2.6      2.1      1.8
 High school graduates, no college (2) ..  10.0     3.1      2.6      2.7      2.4      2.1
 Some college or associate degree .......  10.1     3.6      2.9      2.8      2.1      2.2
 Bachelor's degree and higher (3) .......  10.4     3.6      3.1      2.9      2.6      2.1

  1  Jobs that were held in more than one of the age categories were counted in each appro-
priate column, but only once in the total column.
  2  Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.
  3  Includes persons with a bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees.
  NOTE:  This table excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978, or who 
had not yet turned age 41 when interviewed in 2004-05.
  The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 consists of men and women who were born
in the years 1957-64 and were ages 14 to 22 when first interviewed in 1979.  These 
individuals were ages 39 to 48 in 2004-05.  Educational attainment is defined as of the
2004-05 survey.  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.