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Technical information: (202) 691-7410 USDL 08-0860 http://www.bls.gov/nls/ For release: 10:00 A.M.(EDT) Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Friday, June 27, 2008 NUMBER OF JOBS HELD, LABOR MARKET ACTIVITY, AND EARNINGS GROWTH AMONG THE YOUNGEST BABY BOOMERS: RESULTS FROM A LONGITUDINAL SURVEY The average person born in the later years of the baby boom held 10.8 jobs from age 18 to age 42, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. Nearly two- thirds of these jobs were held from ages 18 to 27. These findings are from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, a survey of 9,964 men and women who were ages 14 to 22 when first interviewed in 1979 and ages 41 to 50 when interviewed most recently in 2006-07. These respondents were born in the years 1957 to 1964, the later years of the "baby boom" that occurred in the United States from 1946 to 1964. The survey spans more than a quarter century and provides information on work and nonwork experiences, training, schooling, income and assets, health conditions, and other characteristics. The information provided by respondents, who were interviewed annually from 1979 to 1994 and biennially since 1994, can be considered representative of all men and women born in the late 1950s and early 1960s and living in the United States when the survey began in 1979. This release of the latest data from the longitudinal survey focuses on the number of jobs held, job duration, labor force participation, and earnings growth. Highlights from the survey include: --Individuals born from 1957 to 1964 held an average of 10.8 jobs from ages 18 to 42. These baby boomers held an average of 4.4 jobs while ages 18 to 22. The average fell to 3.3 jobs while ages 23 to 27 and to 1.9 jobs from ages 38 to 42. Jobs that span more than one age group were counted once in each age group, so the overall average number of jobs held from age 18 to age 42 is less than the sum of the number of jobs across the individual age groups. --Although job duration tends to be longer the older a worker is when starting the job, these baby boomers continued to have large numbers of short-duration jobs even as they approached middle age. Among jobs started by workers when they were ages 38 to 42, 31 percent ended in less than a year, and 65 percent ended in fewer than 5 years. --The average person was employed during 77 percent of the weeks from age 18 to age 42. Generally, men spent a larger percent of weeks employed than did women (84 versus 70 percent). Women spent much more time out of the labor force (25 percent of weeks) than did men (10 percent of weeks). --The annual percent growth in inflation-adjusted hourly earnings was fastest when workers were in their late teens and early twenties. Growth rates in earnings generally were higher for college graduates than for workers with less education. - 2 - Number of Jobs Held Individuals held an average of 10.8 jobs from ages 18 to 42, with the majority of the jobs being held before age 27. In this report, a job is defined as an uninterrupted period of work with a particular employer. (See the Technical Note for additional information on the definition of a job.) On average, men held 11.0 jobs and women held 10.6 jobs from age 18 to age 42. Men held 4.6 jobs from age 18 to age 22, compared with 2.0 jobs from age 38 to age 42. The reduction in the average number of jobs held in successive age groups was similar for women. (See table 1.) On average, college-educated women held more jobs than women without a college degree and also held more jobs than college- educated men. Women with a college degree held 11.5 jobs from ages 18 to 42, compared to 10.7 jobs for similarly educated men. Women with less than a high school diploma held an average of 8.7 jobs. Men without a high school diploma held 12.5 jobs from ages 18 to 42, a higher average than men or women with more education. Differences in the number of jobs held also are apparent between race and ethnicity groups. From age 18 to age 42, whites held more jobs than blacks or Hispanics or Latinos. The difference is concentrated among 18- to 22-year-olds. Duration of Employment Relationships The length of time a worker remains with the same employer increases with the age at which the worker began the job. Of the jobs that workers began when they were ages 18 to 22, 72 percent of those jobs ended in less than a year and 94 percent ended in fewer than 5 years. Among jobs started by workers when they were ages 38 to 42, 31 percent ended in less than a year and 65 percent ended in fewer than 5 years. (See table 2.) Percent of Weeks Employed, Unemployed, and Not in the Labor Force On average, the baby boomers represented by the survey sample were employed during 77 percent of all the weeks occurring from age 18 to age 42. They were unemployed--that is, without jobs but seeking work--5 percent of the weeks. They were not in the labor force--that is, neither working nor seeking work--18 percent of the weeks. (See table 3.) The amount of time spent employed differs substantially between educational-attainment groups, especially among blacks and Hispanics or Latinos. Blacks with less than a high school diploma (as of the 2006-07 survey) spent 53 percent of weeks employed and 34 percent of weeks out of the labor force from age 18 to age 42. By comparison, black high school graduates spent 65 percent of weeks employed and 24 percent of weeks out of the labor force. Hispanic or Latino high school dropouts spent 61 percent of weeks employed, compared with 71 percent of weeks for Hispanic or Latino high school graduates. White high school dropouts spent 70 percent of weeks employed, and white high school graduates spent 79 percent of weeks employed. Among college graduates, there was little difference between racial and ethnic groups in labor market attachment; each group spent 80 to 82 percent of weeks employed and 14 to 15 percent of weeks out of the labor force. - 3 - The amount of time spent in the labor force also differs by sex, with women at every educational level and at every age spending fewer weeks in the labor force than men. Men with less than a high school diploma spent 76 percent of weeks employed from age 18 to age 42. These men also spent 9 percent of weeks unemployed. By comparison, women with less than a high school diploma spent just 50 percent of weeks employed and 6 percent of weeks unemployed from age 18 to age 42. Women without a high school diploma spent nearly as much time out of the labor force (44 percent of weeks) as they did employed (50 percent of weeks). The differences between men and women in labor force attachment were much smaller among those with a bachelor’s degree or more education, but men still spent a larger proportion of weeks employed than did women (86 versus 79 percent). Labor force attachment is related to age for both men and women, with the percent of weeks employed increasing and the percent of weeks unemployed or not in the labor force falling as individuals grow older. From ages 18 to 22, men spent 21 percent of weeks out of the labor force and women spent 32 percent of weeks out of the labor force. This age range is a period when large proportions of men and women attend college or receive vocational training, and, as a result, they spend less time in the labor force than they eventually will. Indeed, from ages 38 to 42, these men spent only 8 percent of weeks out of the labor force, and women spent 21 percent of weeks out of the labor force. (See table 4.) Like men, women were more likely to participate in the labor force as they aged, but the reduction in the percent of weeks spent out of the labor force was much smaller among women than among men. In fact, after age 22, women spent, on average, about three times as many weeks out of the labor force as their male counterparts. Women ages 23 to 27 and 28 to 32 each spent 26 percent of weeks out of the labor force. Women ages 33 to 37 spent 24 percent of weeks out of the labor force, and women ages 38 to 42 spent 21 percent of weeks out of the labor force. Percent Growth in Real Earnings The inflation-adjusted earnings of workers increased most rapidly while they were young. Hourly earnings grew by an average of 7.0 percent per year from ages 18 to 22 and 5.3 percent per year from ages 23 to 27. The earnings growth rate slowed to 3.1 percent annually from age 28 to age 32, then to 3.6 percent annually from age 33 to age 37. From ages 38 to 42, hourly earnings grew an average of 1.4 percent per year. Earnings growth was stagnant for 38- to 42-year-olds with a high school diploma or less education. This pattern in earnings growth reflects, in part, the state of the U.S. economy during the years in which survey participants were in each age group. For men and women in nearly every age category, growth rates in inflation-adjusted hourly earnings generally were higher for workers with more education. (See table 5.)
- 4 - Technical Note The estimates in this release were obtained using data from the first 22 rounds of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79). This survey is conducted by the Center for Human Resource Research at The Ohio State University and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago under the direction and sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Sample The NLSY79 is a nationally representative sample of 12,686 young men and women who were 14 to 22 years of age when first surveyed in 1979. This survey sample was initially composed of three subsamples: --A cross-sectional sample of 6,111 youths that was designed to represent the noninstitutionalized, civilian population of young people living in the U.S. in 1979 and born between January 1, 1957, and December 31, 1964. --A supplemental sample of 5,295 youths designed to oversample noninstitutionalized, civilian black, Hispanic or Latino, and economically disadvantaged nonblack, non-Hispanic youths living in the U.S. in 1979 and born between January 1, 1957, and December 31, 1964. --A military sample of 1,280 youths born between January 1, 1957, and December 31, 1961, and enlisted in the Army, Air Force, Navy, or Marine Corps as of September 30, 1978. In 1985, the military sample was discontinued, and, in 1991, the economically disadvantaged nonblack, non-Hispanic youths were dropped from the supplemental sample. As a result, the NLSY79 sample now includes 9,964 individuals from the cross-sectional sample and the black and Hispanic or Latino supplemental samples. (This sample size is not adjusted for sample members who have died.) Individuals were surveyed annually from 1979 to 1994 and biennially since 1994. In 2006-07, 7,654 individuals responded to the survey, for a retention rate of 77 percent. Only these individuals are included in the estimates in this release. All results are weighted using the 2006-07 survey weights that correct for the oversampling, interview nonresponse, and permanent attrition from the survey. When weighted, the estimates represent all persons born in the years 1957 to 1964 and living in the U.S. when the survey began in 1979. Not represented by the survey are U.S. immigrants who were born from 1957 to 1964 and moved to the United States after 1979. - 5 - Work history data The total number of jobs that people hold during their work life is an easy concept to understand but a difficult one to measure. Reliable estimates require a survey that interviews the same people over the course of their entire work life and also keeps track of all the jobs they ever held. The NLSY79 tracks the number of jobs that people have held, but the respondents in this survey are still relatively young, ages 41 to 50 in 2006-07, and have many years of work life ahead of them. As the cohort continues to age, however, more complete information will become available. A unique feature of the NLSY79 is that it collects the beginning and ending dates of all jobs held by a respondent so that a longitudinal history can be constructed of each respondent’s work experiences. The NLSY79 work history data provide a week-by-week work record of each respondent from January 1, 1978, through the most recent survey date. These data contain information on the respondent’s labor force status each week, the usual hours worked per week at all jobs, and earnings for all jobs. If a respondent worked at more than one job in any week, hours and earnings are obtained for additional jobs. When a respondent who missed one or more consecutive survey rounds is interviewed again, he is asked to provide information about all time since the last interview. Interaction between time and age in a longitudinal survey Because the NLSY79 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, table 5 reports earnings growth from age 23 to age 27. The youngest respondents in the sample (birth year 1964) were these ages during 1987-91, whereas the oldest respondents (birth year 1957) were these ages during 1980-84. Although participants in the NLSY79 were ages 41 to 50 during the 2006-07 interviews, this release covers only the period while the respondents were ages 18 to 42. The reason for not including older ages is that the sample sizes were still too small to provide statistically reliable estimates for age groups older than 42. As the NLSY79 continues to be administered and the respondents age, subsequent rounds of the survey will enable analyses to be conducted for older age groups. As with age, the educational attainment of individuals may change from year to year. In the tables and analysis presented in this report, educational attainment is defined as of the 2006- 07 survey. This definition is used even when data on age and educational attainment are presented together. For example, table 1 reports the number of jobs held during different age categories. Suppose that a respondent had completed a bachelor’s degree at age 28. That respondent would be included in the "Bachelor’s degree and higher" educational category in all age categories shown on the table, even though he or she did not have a bachelor’s degree at any point from age 18 to age 27. - 6 - Definitions Job. A job is defined as an uninterrupted period of work with a particular employer. Jobs are therefore employer-based, not position-based. If a respondent indicates that he or she left a job but in a subsequent survey returned to the same job, it is counted as a new job. For example, if an individual worked in a retail establishment during the summer, quit at the end of summer to return to school, and then resumed working for the same employer the following spring, this sequence would count as two jobs, rather than one. For self-employed workers, each "new" job is defined by the individuals themselves. Unemployment. If respondents indicate a gap between employers, they are asked how many of those weeks they spent searching for employment or on layoff. For that number of weeks, they are considered unemployed. For the remaining weeks, they are coded as not in the labor force. No probing for intensity of job search is done. Usual earnings. Respondents can report earnings over any time frame (hour, day, week, month, year). For those who do not report an hourly wage, one is constructed using usual hours worked over that time frame. Wages greater than $100 per hour and less than $1 per hour were not included in the analysis of earnings growth because the reported earnings levels were almost certainly in error. For the same reason, individuals who had inflation-adjusted earnings growth greater than 100 percent were not included in the analysis. These exclusions from the analysis affected 82 respondents. Race and ethnicity groups. In this release, the findings are reported for non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and Hispanics or Latinos. These three 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 usually are published for whites, blacks, and Hispanics or Latinos, but these groups are not mutually exclusive. The terms "Hispanic or Latino" are considered to be an ethnicity group, and Hispanics or Latinos can be of any race. Most other BLS publications include Hispanics or Latinos in the white and black race groups in addition to the Hispanic or Latino ethnicity 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. Number of jobs held by individuals from age 18 to age 42 in 1978-2006 by educational attainment, sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and age Average number of jobs for persons ages 18 to 42 Characteristic in 1978-2006 Ages 18 Ages 23 Ages 28 Ages 33 Ages 38 Total (1) to 22 to 27 to 32 to 37 to 42 Total ................................... 10.8 4.4 3.3 2.6 2.2 1.9 Less than a high school diploma ........ 10.9 3.9 3.2 2.6 2.2 1.9 High school graduates, no college (2) .. 10.5 4.2 3.1 2.6 2.2 1.9 Some college or associate degree ....... 11.1 4.5 3.4 2.7 2.3 2.0 Bachelor's degree and higher (3) ....... 11.1 5.0 3.6 2.6 2.1 1.9 Men ..................................... 11.0 4.6 3.5 2.8 2.3 2.0 Less than a high school diploma ........ 12.5 4.6 3.8 3.0 2.4 2.0 High school graduates, no college (2) .. 10.7 4.5 3.4 2.8 2.2 1.9 Some college or associate degree ....... 11.1 4.5 3.5 2.8 2.4 2.0 Bachelor's degree and higher (3) ....... 10.7 4.6 3.4 2.6 2.2 1.9 Women ................................... 10.6 4.3 3.1 2.4 2.1 1.9 Less than a high school diploma ........ 8.7 2.9 2.3 2.1 1.9 1.6 High school graduates, no college (2) .. 10.2 3.9 2.7 2.3 2.2 1.9 Some college or associate degree ....... 11.0 4.5 3.3 2.5 2.2 1.9 Bachelor's degree and higher (3) ....... 11.5 5.3 3.7 2.6 2.0 1.8 White non-Hispanic ...................... 10.9 4.6 3.3 2.6 2.2 1.9 Less than a high school diploma ........ 11.5 4.2 3.3 2.7 2.3 1.9 High school graduates, no college (2) .. 10.4 4.4 3.1 2.6 2.2 1.9 Some college or associate degree ....... 11.3 4.7 3.4 2.7 2.3 1.9 Bachelor's degree and higher (3) ....... 11.1 5.1 3.6 2.6 2.1 1.8 Black non-Hispanic ...................... 10.4 3.6 3.1 2.6 2.3 2.0 Less than a high school diploma ........ 9.8 2.9 2.9 2.6 2.0 1.8 High school graduates, no college (2) .. 10.6 3.5 3.0 2.6 2.3 2.0 Some college or associate degree ....... 10.4 3.8 3.1 2.7 2.4 2.1 Bachelor's degree and higher (3) ....... 10.9 4.2 3.6 2.8 2.4 2.2 Hispanic or Latino ...................... 10.5 4.1 3.0 2.5 2.2 1.9 Less than a high school diploma ........ 10.4 4.0 2.8 2.4 2.0 1.7 High school graduates, no college (2) .. 10.6 4.0 3.0 2.5 2.2 1.9 Some college or associate degree ....... 10.3 4.2 3.0 2.5 2.2 2.1 Bachelor's degree and higher (3) ....... 10.7 4.4 3.3 2.7 2.3 1.9 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 bachelor's, master's, professional, or doctoral degrees. NOTE: This table excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978, or who had not yet turned age 43 when interviewed in 2006-07. 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 41 to 50 in 2006-07. Educational attainment is defined as of the 2006-07 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.
Table 2. Duration of employment relationships with a single employer for all jobs started from age 18 to age 42 in 1978-2006 by age at start of job, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity Age at the start of Cumulative percent distribution of duration Percent job and characteristic of completed employment relationships of jobs Less than Less than Less than Less than Less than ongoing 1 year 2 years 5 years 10 years 15 years in 2006 Ages 18 to 22 .......... 72.3 85.2 94.1 97.1 98.0 1.3 Men .................. 72.6 85.2 93.7 97.0 97.8 1.3 Women ................ 72.0 85.1 94.6 97.3 98.2 1.2 White non-Hispanic ... 71.9 85.0 94.0 97.0 97.9 1.3 Black non-Hispanic ... 74.9 87.0 95.1 97.8 98.5 1.0 Hispanic or Latino ... 72.2 84.5 93.7 97.4 98.3 1.1 Ages 23 to 27 .......... 59.2 75.9 88.8 94.0 95.7 3.5 Men .................. 59.2 75.9 88.2 93.2 95.1 4.0 Women ................ 59.3 76.0 89.6 94.8 96.4 2.9 White non-Hispanic ... 58.3 75.1 88.4 93.7 95.5 3.7 Black non-Hispanic ... 62.7 79.4 90.9 95.2 96.5 2.9 Hispanic or Latino ... 61.4 78.0 89.6 94.2 96.2 3.2 Ages 28 to 32 .......... 52.5 69.7 85.5 91.6 93.6 6.2 Men .................. 52.1 69.1 84.8 90.9 93.0 6.9 Women ................ 53.1 70.4 86.2 92.4 94.3 5.4 White non-Hispanic ... 51.2 68.4 84.7 91.0 93.1 6.7 Black non-Hispanic ... 57.8 74.9 88.5 93.9 95.3 4.5 Hispanic or Latino ... 53.9 71.1 86.7 92.8 95.0 4.7 Ages 33 to 37 .......... 42.8 60.7 80.6 88.2 88.9 11.1 Men .................. 41.5 59.8 79.4 87.3 88.0 12.0 Women ................ 44.2 61.7 81.8 89.1 89.7 10.3 White non-Hispanic ... 41.2 59.2 79.6 87.6 88.3 11.7 Black non-Hispanic ... 47.5 66.3 84.3 90.6 91.1 8.9 Hispanic or Latino ... 45.9 62.7 81.9 89.0 89.9 10.1 Ages 38 to 42 .......... 30.5 46.6 65.1 (1) (1) 30.2 Men .................. 30.1 45.9 65.1 (1) (1) 30.2 Women ................ 30.9 47.4 65.1 (1) (1) 30.3 White non-Hispanic ... 29.4 45.1 63.1 (1) (1) 32.1 Black non-Hispanic ... 34.0 51.5 71.6 (1) (1) 23.6 Hispanic or Latino ... 34.1 51.0 71.6 (1) (1) 25.4 1 Estimates are not presented for these categories because most sample members were not yet old enough at the time of the 2006-07 survey to have completed jobs of these durations. NOTE: The age category of 18 to 22 excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978. 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 41 to 50 in 2006-07. 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. Percent of weeks individuals were employed, unemployed, or not in the labor force from age 18 to age 42 in 1978-2006 by educational attainment, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity Percent of total weeks while ages 18 to 42 Characteristic in 1978-2006 Employed Unemployed Not in labor Force Total, ages 18 to 42 in 1978-2006 ............ 77.2 4.6 17.5 Less than a high school diploma ............ 65.1 7.9 26.4 High school graduates, no college (1) ...... 76.6 5.3 17.4 Some college or associate degree ........... 78.8 4.2 16.3 Bachelor's degree and higher (2)............ 82.1 2.5 14.9 Men .......................................... 84.1 5.1 10.2 Less than a high school diploma ............ 76.0 9.2 14.1 High school graduates, no college (1) ...... 84.4 5.5 9.3 Some college or associate degree ........... 87.1 4.2 8.1 Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ........... 85.5 2.8 11.2 Women ........................................ 70.0 4.2 25.2 Less than a high school diploma ............ 49.5 5.9 44.0 High school graduates, no college (1) ...... 67.8 5.1 26.5 Some college or associate degree ........... 72.2 4.2 22.9 Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ........... 78.5 2.3 18.8 White non-Hispanic ........................... 79.5 3.8 16.1 Less than a high school diploma ............ 70.2 6.8 22.4 High school graduates, no college (1) ...... 79.4 4.4 15.6 Some college or associate degree ........... 80.1 3.4 15.8 Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ........... 82.2 2.4 15.0 Black non-Hispanic ........................... 67.9 8.9 22.5 Less than a high school diploma ............ 52.8 12.2 34.2 High school graduates, no college (1) ...... 65.0 10.3 23.9 Some college or associate degree ........... 73.9 7.5 18.0 Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ........... 81.7 4.0 13.9 Hispanic or Latino .......................... 71.2 5.4 22.5 Less than a high school diploma ............ 60.6 7.1 31.6 High school graduates, no college (1) ...... 70.7 5.9 22.4 Some college or associate degree ........... 78.4 3.7 17.1 Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ........... 80.7 3.8 15.1 1 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. 2 Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, or doctoral degrees. NOTE: This table excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978, or who had not yet turned age 43 when interviewed in 2006-07. Totals do not add to 100 percent due to a small number of respondents whose employment status cannot be determined for all weeks. 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 41 to 50 in 2006-07. Educational attainment is defined as of the 2006-07 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.
Table 4. Percent of weeks individuals were employed, unemployed, or not in the labor force from age 18 to age 42 in 1978-2006 by age, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity Percent of total weeks Age and characteristic Not in Employed Unemployed labor force Total, ages 18 to 42 in 1978-2006 (1) ............... 77.2 4.6 17.5 Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1986 (2) .................... 64.3 8.9 26.4 Ages 23 to 27 in 1980-1991 ........................ 77.1 5.5 17.0 Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1996 ........................ 79.3 3.8 16.3 Ages 33 to 37 in 1990-2001 ........................ 81.5 2.9 15.2 Ages 38 to 42 in 1995-2006 (3) .................... 82.4 2.8 14.0 Men, ages 18 to 42 in 1978-2006 (1) ................. 84.1 5.1 10.2 Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1986 (2) .................... 68.8 9.9 20.7 Ages 23 to 27 in 1980-1991 ........................ 84.8 6.3 8.4 Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1996 ........................ 88.0 4.1 7.2 Ages 33 to 37 in 1990-2001 ........................ 89.3 3.1 7.1 Ages 38 to 42 in 1995-2006 (3) .................... 88.7 3.0 7.5 Women, ages 18 to 42 in 1978-2006 (1) ............... 70.0 4.2 25.2 Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1986 (2) .................... 59.6 7.7 32.3 Ages 23 to 27 in 1980-1991 ........................ 69.8 4.7 25.9 Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1996 ........................ 70.2 3.4 25.8 Ages 33 to 37 in 1990-2001 ........................ 73.4 2.7 23.5 Ages 38 to 42 in 1995-2006 (3) .................... 75.8 2.7 20.8 White non-Hispanic, ages 18 to 42 in 1978-2006 (1) .. 79.5 3.8 16.1 Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1986 (2) .................... 67.3 7.8 24.5 Ages 23 to 27 in 1980-1991 ........................ 79.5 4.6 15.5 Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1996 ........................ 81.4 3.1 15.0 Ages 33 to 37 in 1990-2001 ........................ 83.3 2.3 14.1 Ages 38 to 42 in 1995-2006 (3) .................... 83.9 2.2 13.2 Black non-Hispanic, ages 18 to 42 in 1978-2006 (1) .. 67.9 8.9 22.5 Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1986 (2) .................... 51.1 14.7 33.8 Ages 23 to 27 in 1980-1991 ........................ 67.8 10.2 21.5 Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1996 ........................ 70.6 7.6 21.0 Ages 33 to 37 in 1990-2001 ........................ 74.5 6.0 19.1 Ages 38 to 42 in 1995-2006 (3) .................... 76.0 5.8 17.4 Hispanic or Latino, ages 18 to 42 in 1978-2006 (1) .. 71.2 5.4 22.5 Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1986 (2) .................... 59.7 9.5 30.2 Ages 23 to 27 in 1980-1991 ........................ 70.0 6.3 23.1 Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1996 ........................ 73.4 4.3 21.3 Ages 33 to 37 in 1980-2001 ........................ 76.3 3.5 19.3 Ages 38 to 42 in 1995-2006 (3) .................... 78.3 3.8 16.7 1 This category excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978, or who had not yet turned age 43 when interviewed in 2006-07. 2 This category excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978. 3 This category excludes individuals who had not yet turned age 43 when interviewed in 2006-07. NOTE: Totals do not add to 100 percent due to a small number of respondents whose employment status cannot be determined for all weeks. 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 41 to 50 in 2006-07. 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. Average annual percent growth in inflation-adjusted hourly earnings from 1978-2006 by educational attainment, sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and age Average annual percent growth in hourly earnings Characteristic Ages 18 Ages 23 Ages 28 Ages 33 Ages 38 to 22 to 27 to 32 to 37 to 42 Total ..................................... 7.0 5.3 3.1 3.6 1.4 Less than a high school diploma ........ 5.7 2.8 1.2 3.6 0.0 High school graduates, no college........ 5.9 3.6 2.5 3.1 0.7 Some college or associate degree......... 6.1 4.9 2.7 3.7 2.1 Bachelor's degree and higher............. 9.7 9.2 5.2 4.1 2.3 Men ....................................... 7.1 5.8 3.3 3.8 1.3 Less than a high school diploma ........ 5.2 3.0 1.3 3.2 -0.9 High school graduates, no college ....... 6.8 3.9 2.3 3.1 0.7 Some college or associate degree......... 6.7 5.9 3.2 3.9 2.7 Bachelor's degree and higher............. 8.7 10.4 6.0 5.0 2.2 Women ..................................... 6.8 4.8 2.9 3.3 1.5 Less than a high school diploma ......... 6.7 2.5 0.9 4.1 1.4 High school graduates, no college ....... 4.8 3.2 2.8 3.1 0.8 Some college or associate degree......... 5.7 4.1 2.3 3.4 1.6 Bachelor's degree and higher............. 10.6 8.1 4.3 3.2 2.3 White non-Hispanic ........................ 7.3 5.5 3.2 3.7 1.4 Less than a high school diploma ......... 6.6 2.8 1.1 4.3 -0.1 High school graduates, no college ....... 6.1 3.5 2.5 3.2 0.8 Some college or associate degree......... 6.3 5.1 2.7 3.6 1.9 Bachelor's degree and higher............. 9.9 9.4 5.1 4.1 2.3 Black non-Hispanic ........................ 5.4 4.5 2.9 3.2 1.1 Less than a high school diploma ......... 4.1 2.6 2.0 1.2 0.6 High school graduates, no college ....... 4.7 4.1 2.4 3.1 -0.1 Some college or associate degree......... 5.5 4.3 2.8 4.0 2.3 Bachelor's degree and higher............. 8.4 8.3 5.5 3.8 2.6 Hispanic or Latino......................... 6.2 4.1 2.6 2.9 2.2 Less than a high school diploma ......... 3.6 3.9 0.4 2.6 0.7 High school graduates, no college ....... 6.8 3.1 2.6 2.4 1.3 Some college or associate degree......... 6.5 3.9 3.2 2.7 3.8 Bachelor's degree and higher............. 8.3 7.8 4.6 5.3 3.5 1 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. 2 Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, or doctoral degrees. NOTE: The first column excludes individuals who turned age 18 before 1978. The last column excludes individuals who were not yet age 43 when interviewed in 2006-07. The CPI-U-RS was used to adjust hourly earnings to 2006 dollars, prior to calculating the growth rates. 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 41 to 50 in 2006-07. Educational attainment is defined as of the 2006-07 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.