For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, August 22, 2023 USDL-23-1854
Technical information: (202) 691-7410 * nls_info@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/nls
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov
NUMBER OF JOBS, LABOR MARKET EXPERIENCE, MARITAL STATUS, AND HEALTH
FOR THOSE BORN 1957-1964
Individuals born in the latter years of the baby boom (1957-64) held an average of 12.7 jobs
from ages 18 to 56, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nearly half of these
jobs were held from ages 18 to 24.
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 55 to 64 when
interviewed most recently in 2020-21. These respondents were born in the years 1957 to 1964,
the latter years of the baby boom that occurred in the United States from 1946 to 1964. The
survey spans 41 years and provides information on work and nonwork experiences, education,
training, income and assets, health, 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, earnings growth, marital status, and health.
Highlights from the survey include:
--Individuals born from 1957 to 1964 held an average of 12.7 jobs from ages 18 to 56. These
baby boomers held an average of 5.6 jobs while ages 18 to 24. The average fell to 4.5 jobs
from ages 25 to 34; to 2.9 jobs from ages 35 to 44; and to 2.3 jobs from ages 45 to 56.
Jobs that span more than one age group were counted once in each age group, so the overall
average number of jobs held from ages 18 to 56 is less than the sum of the number of jobs
across the individual age groups. (See table 1.)
--Although job duration tended to be longer the older a worker was when starting the job,
these baby boomers continued to have short-duration jobs. Among individuals who started
jobs between the ages of 35 to 44, the average individual had 25 percent of their jobs
end in less than a year, and 61 percent end in fewer than 5 years. (See table 2.)
--On average, individuals in this cohort were employed during 78 percent of the weeks from
ages 18 to 56. Generally, men spent a larger percent of weeks employed than did women (83
percent versus 72 percent). Women spent twice as much time out of the labor force (24
percent of weeks) as men (12 percent of weeks). (See table 3.)
--The average annual percent growth in inflation-adjusted hourly earnings was highest during
a worker's late teens and early twenties. Growth rates in earnings generally were higher
for workers with a bachelor's degree or higher than for workers with less education. (See
table 5.)
--At the time of their 56th birthday, 65 percent of individuals were married and 35 percent
were not married. The percent of individuals who were married varied by education: those
with a bachelor's degree or higher were more likely to be married than those with less
education. (See table 6.)
--At age 56, men who were not married were employed 75 percent of the weeks from ages 35 to
56, compared with 91 percent for those who were married. The percentage of weeks employed
was similar for women who were not married and married at 56 years of age (73 percent and
75 percent, respectively). (See table 7.)
--The percent of individuals reporting that their health limits the kind or amount of work
they can do increased as the cohort aged. At 24 years of age, 4 percent of individuals
reported that their health limits the kind or amount of work they can do; at 34 years of
age, 5 percent were limited; at 44 years of age, 10 percent were limited; and at 56 years
of age, 21 percent were limited. The percent of individuals whose health limited the kind
or amount of work they can do was generally higher for those with less education. (See
table 8.)
Number of Jobs Held
Individuals in the 1957-1964 birth cohort held an average of 12.7 jobs from ages 18 to 56, with
nearly half of these jobs held before age 25. In this news release, 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 12.8 jobs and women held 12.5
jobs from ages 18 to 56. Men held 5.8 jobs from ages 18 to 24, compared with 2.3 jobs from ages
45 to 56. The reduction in the average number of jobs held in successive age groups was similar
for women. (See table 1.)
On average, men without a high school diploma held 14.1 jobs from ages 18 to 56, while men with
a bachelor's degree and higher held 12.1 jobs between these ages. In contrast, women without
a high school diploma held 10.4 jobs from ages 18 to 56, while women with a bachelor's degree
and higher held 13.4 jobs between these ages.
At younger ages, White persons held more jobs than Black persons and Hispanic or Latino persons.
This gap decreased over time. On average, White persons held 5.8 jobs between the ages of 18 and
24, while Black persons held 4.8 jobs and Hispanic or Latino persons held 5.1 jobs. Each of
these groups held between 4.3 and 4.7 jobs from ages 25 to 34; between 2.8 and 3.2 jobs from
ages 35 to 44; and between 2.3 and 2.4 jobs from ages 45 to 56.
Duration of Employment Relationships
The length of time a worker remains with an employer increased with the age at which the worker
began the job. Of the jobs that workers began when they were 18 to 24 years of age, the average
worker had 61 percent of those jobs end in less than a year and 87 percent of jobs end in fewer
than 5 years. Among jobs started by 35- to 44-year-olds, the average worker had 25 percent of
jobs end in less than a year, and 61 percent end in fewer than 5 years. (See table 2.)
Percent of Weeks Employed, Unemployed, and Not in the Labor Force
On average, the youngest baby boomers (born 1957-64) were employed during 78 percent of all the
weeks from ages 18 to 56. They were unemployed--that is, without jobs but seeking work--4 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 differed substantially between those without a high school
diploma and those who had graduated from high school or attained higher levels of education.
Individuals with less than a high school diploma (as of the 2020-21 survey) spent 59 percent of
weeks employed and 34 percent of weeks out of the labor force from ages 18 to 56. By comparison,
high school graduates spent 76 percent of weeks employed and 19 percent of weeks out of the
labor force, while those with a bachelor's degree and higher spent 85 percent of weeks employed
and 13 percent of weeks out of the labor force.
White high school graduates with no college were employed a higher percentage of weeks and out
of the labor force a smaller percentage of weeks than Black, and Hispanic or Latino high school
graduates with no college. Between the ages of 18 and 56, White high school graduates with no
college spent 78 percent of weeks employed and 17 percent of weeks out of the labor force,
while Black high school graduates with no college spent 64 percent of weeks employed and 27
percent of weeks out of the labor force and Hispanic or Latino high school graduates with no
college spent 73 percent of weeks employed and 21 percent of weeks out of the labor force. Among
those with a bachelor's degree and higher, however, there was little difference among racial
and ethnic groups in labor market attachment; each group spent between 83 percent and 85 percent
of weeks employed.
The amount of time spent in the labor force differed by sex, with women at every educational
level spending fewer weeks in the labor force than men. Overall, men were out of the labor
force 12 percent of weeks from ages 18 to 56; at these same ages, women were out of the labor
force 24 percent of weeks. Both women's and men's labor force participation increased with
their education level. Women without a high school diploma spent nearly half (49 percent) of
all weeks between ages 18 to 56 out of the labor force, while those with a high school diploma
and no college were out of the labor force 27 percent of weeks, those with some college were
out of the labor force 23 percent of weeks, and women with a bachelor's degree and higher were
out of the labor force only 17 percent of weeks. Among men, those without a high school diploma
were out of the labor force about 24 percent of weeks, while men in the remaining three education
categories were out of the labor force only 9 percent to 13 percent of weeks. (See table 3.)
While women spent fewer weeks in the labor force than men on average, the labor force participation
patterns of men and women across ages were fairly similar. For both men and women, time spent
out of the labor force was greatest between the ages of 18 and 24, reflecting the transition
from education and training to the work force. For women, time spent out of the labor force
decreased from 30 percent of weeks between the ages of 18 and 24; to 25 percent of weeks between
the ages of 25 and 34; to 21 percent of weeks between the ages of 35 and 44; and then increased
to 24 percent of weeks between the ages of 45 and 56. Men were out of the labor force 18
percent of weeks between the ages of 18 to 24, and then fewer than 8 percent of weeks from ages
25 to 44; from ages 45 to 56, they increased their time out of the labor force to 13 percent
of weeks. (See table 4.)
The percentage of weeks in which women were employed increased from 64 percent in the 18 to
24 age group to a peak of 76 percent in the 35 to 44 age group and then decreased to 73 percent
in the 45 to 56 age group. Following a similar pattern, the percentage of weeks in which men
were employed increased from 73 percent in the 18 to 24 age group to a peak of 89 percent in
both the 25 to 34 and the 35 to 44 age categories. The percent of weeks employed then dipped to
83 percent in the 45 to 56 age group. (See table 4.)
Percent Growth in Real Earnings
The inflation-adjusted earnings of workers born in the latter years of the baby boom (1957-64)
increased most rapidly while they were young. Hourly earnings grew by an average of 6.5 percent
per year from ages 18 to 24. The earnings growth rate slowed to 3.3 percent annually from ages
25 to 34 and then to 1.8 percent annually from ages 35 to 44. From ages 45 to 56, inflation-
adjusted earnings were stagnant (0.0 percent).
In every age category, growth rates of inflation-adjusted hourly earnings generally were higher
for workers with more education. Earnings growth for 18- to 24-year-olds with less than a high
school diploma was 2.3 percent, while those with a bachelor's degree and higher saw their
earnings grow by 9.3 percent at the same ages. Among 45- to 56-year-olds, those individuals
with less than a high school diploma experienced negative earnings growth (-0.8 percent) on
average, while earnings among those with a bachelor's degree and higher increased by 0.6
percent. 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. (See table 5.)
Marital Status and Employment Experiences
At 24 years of age, 43 percent of Americans born during 1957-64 were married and 57 percent were
not married. At 34 years of age, 68 percent were married and 32 percent were not married; at 44
years of age, 70 percent were married and 30 percent were not married; and at 56 years of age,
65 percent were married and 35 percent were not married. (See table 6.)
At age 24, those with lower levels of education were more likely to be married than those with
higher levels of education. The opposite was true at older ages. At ages 34, 44, and 56, those
with higher levels of education were more likely to be married than those with lower levels of
education. At the time of their 44th birthday, 55 percent of high school dropouts, 67 percent
of high school graduates with no college, 69 percent of individuals with some college or an
associate degree, and 79 percent of college graduates were married.
At age 24, women were significantly more likely to be married than men (50 percent and 37
percent, respectively). Women at age 24 were also more likely to be married than men at each
level of educational attainment. At ages 34, 44, and 56, the percentages of women and men who
were married were very similar, ranging between 67 and 70 percent for men and 64 and 70 percent
for women.
Marital status varied by race and ethnicity. Black persons were more likely to be not married
than either White persons or Hispanic or Latino persons. At 44 years of age, 50 percent of
Black persons were not married, compared with 26 percent of White persons and 35 percent of
Hispanic or Latino persons.
Compared with individuals who were not married at age 34, those who were married had worked
more weeks from ages 18 to 34 than individuals who were not married (78 percent versus 72
percent), spent fewer weeks unemployed (4 percent versus 7 percent), and spent fewer weeks not
in the labor force (18 percent versus 20 percent). Similar relationships were observed at older
ages. At age 56, those who were married had worked more weeks from ages 35 to 56 than
individuals who were not married (84 percent versus 74 percent); they also spent fewer weeks
unemployed (2 percent versus 5 percent) and fewer weeks not in the labor force (14 percent
versus 21 percent). (See table 7.)
At age 56, men had accumulated different employment experiences by marital status. From ages
35 to 56, men who were married at 56 had worked more weeks, been unemployed fewer weeks, and
been less likely to be not in the labor force than not married men. Married men had spent 91
percent of weeks employed, compared with 75 percent for not married men. They had spent
2 percent of weeks unemployed, compared with 6 percent for not married men. Married men had
spent 7 percent of weeks out of the labor force, compared with 19 percent for not married
men. In contrast, there were limited differences in women's employment experiences by marital
status from ages 35 to 56 with both married and not married women spending about the same
percentage of weeks employed (75 percent and 73 percent, respectively).
At age 56, married individuals also had worked more weeks than not married individuals within
racial and ethnic groups. Among White persons, those who were married had spent a higher
percentage of weeks employed from ages 35 to 56 than those who were not married (84 percent
versus 77 percent). Among Black persons, those who were married also had spent a higher
percentage of weeks employed than those who were not married (79 percent versus 66 percent).
Among Hispanic or Latino persons, those who were married had spent a higher percentage of weeks
employed than those who were not married (80 percent versus 69 percent).
Health Limits and Work
Individuals in this cohort report whether their health limits the kind or amount of work they
can do; the percent of individuals reporting such limitations increased as they aged. At 24
years of age, 4 percent of Americans born in the years 1957-64 were limited in the kind or amount of
work they can do; at 34 years of age, 5 percent were limited; at 44 years of age, 10 percent
were limited; and at 56 years of age, 21 percent were limited in the kind or amount of work
they can do. (See table 8.)
At ages 24, 34, 44, and 56, those with lower levels of education were generally more likely
to be limited in the kind or amount of work they can do than those with higher levels of
education. By their 56th birthday, 46 percent of high school dropouts, 25 percent of high
school graduates with no college, 21 percent of individuals with some college or an associate
degree, and 11 percent of college graduates were limited in the kind or amount of work they can
do.
Women were more likely than men to report that health limits the kind or amount of work they
can do. At 24 years of age, 5 percent of women and 2 percent of men were limited in the kind
or amount of work they can do; at 34 years of age, 6 percent of women and 4 percent of men were
limited; at 44 years of age, 12 percent of women and 8 percent of men were limited; and at 56
years of age, 24 percent of women and 19 percent of men were limited in the kind or amount of
work they can do.
Limitations in the kind or amount of work individuals can do varied by race and ethnicity.
Black persons were more likely to report being limited than either White persons or Hispanic
or Latino persons. At 56 years of age, 30 percent of Black persons were limited in the kind
or amount of work they can do, compared with 20 percent of White persons and 23 percent of
Hispanic or Latino persons.
Additional data are available at www.bls.gov/nls/y79supp.htm.
Technical Note
The estimates in this release were obtained using data from the first 29 rounds of the
National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79). 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 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 Jan. 1, 1957, and Dec. 31, 1964.
--A supplemental sample of 5,295 youths designed to oversample noninstitutionalized,
civilian Black, Hispanic or Latino, and economically disadvantaged nonblack,
non-Hispanic or Latino youths living in the U.S. in 1979 and born between Jan. 1,
1957, and Dec. 31, 1964.
--A military sample of 1,280 youths born between Jan. 1, 1957, and Dec. 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 2020-21,
6,535 individuals responded to the survey, for a retention rate of 66 percent (representing
a 74 percent response rate among those sample members who are still living). Only these
individuals are included in the estimates in this release. All results are weighted using
the 2020-21 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 U.S. after 1979.
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 most of the respondents in this survey are still working and have more years of work
life ahead of them. While the survey has already tracked 41 years of work history, as
the cohort continues to age, 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 Jan. 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
or she 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 45 to age 56. The youngest respondents in the
sample (birth year 1964) were these ages during 2009-20, whereas the oldest respondents
(birth year 1957) were these ages during 2002-13.
Although participants in the NLSY79 were ages 55 to 64 during the 2020-21 interviews, this
release covers only the period while the respondents were ages 18 to 56. 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 56. 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 2020-21 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 56. 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 55.
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, 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
(in 1979 dollars) 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.
Marital Status. Marital status is determined for the interview date in which the respondent
first turned a specific age (56, for example). If not interviewed at that age, then marital
status is determined for the prior age.
Health limits kind or amount of work respondent can do: Health limit is determined for the
interview date in which the respondent first turned a specific age (56, for example). If
not interviewed at that age, then health limit is determined for the prior age.
Race and ethnicity groups. In this release, the findings are reported for non-Hispanic White
persons, non-Hispanic Black persons, and Hispanic or Latino persons. 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 White persons, Black persons, and Hispanic or Latino
persons, but these groups are not mutually exclusive. The term Hispanic or Latino is
considered to be an ethnicity group, and Hispanic or Latino persons can be of any race.
Most other BLS publications include Hispanic or Latino persons 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. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1
to access telecommunications relay services.
Table 1. Number of jobs held by individuals from ages 18 through 56 in 1978-2020 by
educational attainment, sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and age
Average number of jobs for individuals ages 18 to 56
in 1978-2020
Characteristic
Ages 18 Ages 25 Ages 35 Ages 45
Total (1) to 24(2) to 34 to 44 to 56(3)
Total ................................. 12.7 5.6 4.5 2.9 2.3
Less than a high school diploma ...... 12.6 5.1 4.7 2.9 1.9
High school graduates, no college (4). 12.3 5.2 4.4 2.9 2.2
Some college or associate degree ..... 13.2 5.7 4.7 3.1 2.6
Bachelor's degree and higher (5) ..... 12.8 6.2 4.4 2.8 2.5
Men ................................... 12.8 5.8 4.7 2.9 2.3
Less than a high school diploma ...... 14.1 6.2 5.6 3.1 1.9
High school graduates, no college (4). 12.7 5.7 4.7 2.8 2.2
Some college or associate degree ..... 13.4 5.9 4.9 3.0 2.5
Bachelor's degree and higher (5) ..... 12.1 5.9 4.2 2.8 2.4
Women ................................. 12.5 5.4 4.3 2.9 2.4
Less than a high school diploma ...... 10.4 3.7 3.4 2.5 1.8
High school graduates, no college (4). 11.7 4.7 4.0 2.9 2.1
Some college or associate degree ..... 13.1 5.6 4.5 3.1 2.6
Bachelor's degree and higher (5) ..... 13.4 6.5 4.5 2.8 2.5
White non-Hispanic .................... 12.7 5.8 4.5 2.8 2.4
Less than a high school diploma ...... 13.3 5.6 4.9 3.0 1.9
High school graduates, no college (4). 12.3 5.4 4.3 2.8 2.2
Some college or associate degree ..... 13.5 6.0 4.7 3.0 2.6
Bachelor's degree and higher (5) ..... 12.7 6.3 4.4 2.8 2.4
Black non-Hispanic .................... 12.3 4.8 4.7 3.2 2.3
Less than a high school diploma ...... 10.8 3.8 4.4 2.6 1.5
High school graduates, no college (4). 12.3 4.6 4.8 3.2 2.2
Some college or associate degree ..... 12.2 4.8 4.6 3.4 2.5
Bachelor's degree and higher (5) ..... 13.4 5.6 4.6 3.2 2.8
Hispanic or Latino .................... 12.2 5.1 4.3 3.0 2.4
Less than a high school diploma ...... 11.6 4.5 4.3 2.8 2.1
High school graduates, no college (4). 11.9 5.0 4.1 2.9 2.2
Some college or associate degree ..... 13.1 5.4 4.5 3.2 2.7
Bachelor's degree and higher (5) ..... 12.5 5.4 4.4 2.8 2.4
(1) Jobs held in more than one age category were counted in each, but only once in the total
column. The total excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978, or who had not
yet turned age 57 when interviewed in 2020-21.
(2) This category excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978.
(3) This category excludes individuals who had not yet turned age 57 when interviewed
in 2020-21.
(4) Includes individuals with a high school diploma or equivalent.
(5) Includes individuals with bachelor's, master's, professional, or doctoral degrees.
Note: 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 55 to 64 in 2020-21. Educational attainment is defined as of the
2020-21 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 ages 18 through 56 in 1978-2020 by age at start of job, sex, race, and Hispanic or
Latino ethnicity
Cumulative percent distribution of duration Percent
of completed employment relationships of jobs
Age at the start of job ongoing
and characteristic Less than Less than Less than Less than Less than in 2020
1 year 2 years 5 years 10 years 15 years
Ages 18 to 24 (1)....... 60.8 74.5 86.8 92.3 94.6 1.7
Men .................. 60.8 74.5 86.4 92.1 94.4 1.8
Women ................ 60.8 74.6 87.2 92.6 94.9 1.6
White non-Hispanic ... 60.0 73.8 86.2 91.8 94.3 1.9
Black non-Hispanic ... 65.8 79.1 90.3 95.0 96.3 1.0
Hispanic or Latino ... 60.2 73.3 86.2 93.1 95.2 1.3
Ages 25 to 34 .......... 41.5 57.1 74.0 84.3 88.8 5.1
Men .................. 39.7 55.1 71.3 81.7 86.7 6.2
Women ................ 43.3 59.2 76.8 86.8 91.1 3.8
White non-Hispanic ... 40.0 55.5 72.8 83.3 88.2 5.5
Black non-Hispanic ... 48.4 64.8 80.0 88.5 91.9 2.9
Hispanic or Latino ... 44.0 59.5 75.3 85.9 90.1 4.8
Ages 35 to 44 .......... 25.2 40.0 60.5 75.6 (*) 12.0
Men .................. 22.7 38.0 58.7 73.7 (*) 13.3
Women ................ 27.7 42.0 62.2 77.3 (*) 10.7
White non-Hispanic ... 24.0 38.4 58.6 74.0 (*) 13.0
Black non-Hispanic ... 30.3 47.3 68.6 82.2 (*) 8.0
Hispanic or Latino ... 27.8 42.2 64.3 78.3 (*) 9.2
Ages 45 to 56 (2)....... 21.4 34.9 (*) (*) (*) 27.7
Men .................. 18.4 32.5 (*) (*) (*) 29.8
Women ................ 24.3 37.2 (*) (*) (*) 25.7
White non-Hispanic ... 20.8 34.0 (*) (*) (*) 28.9
Black non-Hispanic ... 24.5 39.0 (*) (*) (*) 22.9
Hispanic or Latino ... 21.6 36.0 (*) (*) (*) 24.4
(*) Estimates are not presented for these categories because most sample members were not yet
old enough at the time of the 2020-21 survey to have completed jobs of these durations.
(1) This category excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978.
(2) This category excludes individuals who had not yet turned age 57 when interviewed
in 2020-21.
Note: 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 55 to 64 in 2020-21. 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 ages 18 through 56 in 1978-2020 by educational attainment, sex, race, and
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
Percent of total weeks while
ages 18 to 56 in 1978-2020
Characteristic
Not in
Employed Unemployed labor force
Total, ages 18 to 56 in 1978-2020........... 77.8 4.4 17.8
Less than a high school diploma .......... 58.8 7.1 34.1
High school graduates, no college (1)..... 75.6 5.5 19.0
Some college or associate degree ......... 78.9 4.1 17.1
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ......... 84.8 2.3 12.9
Men ........................................ 83.4 4.8 11.8
Less than a high school diploma .......... 68.1 8.1 23.8
High school graduates, no college (1)..... 81.5 6.0 12.5
Some college or associate degree ......... 85.9 4.1 10.0
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ......... 89.0 2.4 8.6
Women ...................................... 72.0 3.9 24.1
Less than a high school diploma .......... 45.6 5.7 48.7
High school graduates, no college (1)..... 68.3 4.9 26.8
Some college or associate degree ......... 73.4 4.1 22.6
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ......... 80.7 2.2 17.1
White non-Hispanic ......................... 79.8 3.7 16.5
Less than a high school diploma .......... 62.7 6.1 31.2
High school graduates, no college (1)..... 78.1 4.7 17.2
Some college or associate degree ......... 79.9 3.5 16.6
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ......... 85.0 2.0 12.9
Black non-Hispanic ......................... 68.8 7.8 23.5
Less than a high school diploma .......... 46.2 10.7 43.2
High school graduates, no college (1)..... 63.9 9.2 26.9
Some college or associate degree ......... 74.5 6.4 19.1
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ......... 82.6 4.9 12.6
Hispanic or Latino ........................ 72.9 5.3 21.8
Less than a high school diploma .......... 55.7 7.4 36.9
High school graduates, no college (1)..... 72.9 5.8 21.4
Some college or associate degree ......... 79.0 4.3 16.7
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ......... 84.0 2.7 13.3
(1) Includes individuals with a high school diploma or equivalent.
(2) Includes individuals with bachelor's, master's, professional, or doctoral degrees.
Note: This table excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978, and who had not yet turned age 57
when interviewed in 2020-21.
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 55 to 64 in 2020-21. Educational
attainment is defined as of the 2020-21 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 ages 18 through 56 in 1978-2020 by age, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino
ethnicity
Percent of total weeks
Age and characteristic Not in
labor
Employed Unemployed force
Total, ages 18 to 56 in 1978-2020 (1) .............. 77.8 4.4 17.8
Ages 18 to 24 in 1978-1988 (2) ................... 68.3 7.9 23.8
Ages 25 to 34 in 1982-1998 ....................... 80.2 4.0 15.8
Ages 35 to 44 in 1992-2008 ....................... 82.7 3.1 14.2
Ages 45 to 56 in 2002-2020 (3) ................... 77.9 3.8 18.3
Men, ages 18 to 56 in 1978-2020 (1) .............. 83.4 4.8 11.8
Ages 18 to 24 in 1978-1988 (2) ................... 72.8 8.8 18.3
Ages 25 to 34 in 1982-1998 ....................... 88.6 4.4 7.0
Ages 35 to 44 in 1992-2008 ....................... 88.9 3.2 7.9
Ages 45 to 56 in 2002-2020 (3) ................... 82.5 4.2 13.3
Women, ages 18 to 56 in 1978-2020 (1) .............. 72.0 3.9 24.1
Ages 18 to 24 in 1978-1988 (2) ................... 63.5 6.9 29.6
Ages 25 to 34 in 1982-1998 ....................... 71.6 3.5 24.8
Ages 35 to 44 in 1992-2008 ....................... 76.4 3.0 20.6
Ages 45 to 56 in 2002-2020 (3) ................... 73.1 3.4 23.5
White non-Hispanic, ages 18 to 56 in 1978-2020 (1) . 79.8 3.7 16.5
Ages 18 to 24 in 1978-1988 (2) ................... 70.8 6.9 22.3
Ages 25 to 34 in 1982-1998 ....................... 82.3 3.2 14.5
Ages 35 to 44 in 1992-2008 ....................... 84.2 2.5 13.2
Ages 45 to 56 in 2002-2020 (3) ................... 79.9 3.2 16.9
Black non-Hispanic, ages 18 to 56 in 1978-2020 (1) . 68.8 7.8 23.5
Ages 18 to 24 in 1978-1988 (2) ................... 56.1 13.2 30.7
Ages 25 to 34 in 1982-1998 ....................... 71.6 8.0 20.4
Ages 35 to 44 in 1992-2008 ....................... 76.2 5.9 17.9
Ages 45 to 56 in 2002-2020 (3) ................... 68.4 6.7 24.9
Hispanic or Latino, ages 18 to 56 in 1978-2020 (1) . 72.9 5.3 21.8
Ages 18 to 24 in 1978-1988 (2) ................... 63.9 8.4 27.7
Ages 25 to 34 in 1982-1998 ....................... 73.8 4.7 21.5
Ages 35 to 44 in 1992-2008 ....................... 78.6 4.3 17.1
Ages 45 to 56 in 2002-2020 (3) ................... 73.4 4.7 21.8
(1) This category excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978,
or who had not yet turned age 57 when interviewed in 2020-21.
(2) This category excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978.
(3) This category excludes individuals who had not yet turned age 57 when
interviewed in 2020-21.
Note: 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 55 to 64 in 2020-21. 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
1978-2020 by educational attainment, sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and
age
Average annual percent growth in
hourly earnings
Characteristic Ages 18 Ages 25 Ages 35 Ages 45
to 24(1) to 34 to 44 to 56(2)
Total ..................................... 6.5 3.3 1.8 0.0
Less than a high school diploma ......... 2.3 1.6 1.0 -0.8
High school graduates, no college (3).... 5.5 2.1 1.5 -0.3
Some college or associate degree ........ 5.9 3.3 1.7 0.0
Bachelor's degree and higher (4)......... 9.3 5.3 2.4 0.6
Men ....................................... 7.1 3.7 1.8 -0.1
Less than a high school diploma ......... 2.3 1.7 0.5 -0.9
High school graduates, no college (3).... 6.1 2.2 1.6 -0.3
Some college or associate degree ........ 7.2 3.9 1.6 0.1
Bachelor's degree and higher (4)......... 9.6 6.3 2.6 0.5
Women ..................................... 6.0 2.8 1.8 0.0
Less than a high school diploma ......... 2.1 1.5 1.7 -0.7
High school graduates, no college (3).... 4.8 2.0 1.5 -0.3
Some college or associate degree ........ 4.8 2.7 1.8 0.1
Bachelor's degree and higher (4)......... 9.0 4.2 2.3 0.7
White non-Hispanic ........................ 6.9 3.4 1.8 0.0
Less than a high school diploma ......... 2.9 1.8 1.0 -1.0
High school graduates, no college (3).... 5.8 2.1 1.6 -0.4
Some college or associate degree ........ 5.7 3.3 1.7 0.0
Bachelor's degree and higher (4)......... 9.6 5.3 2.4 0.7
Black non-Hispanic ........................ 4.6 2.9 1.5 0.0
Less than a high school diploma ......... 0.1 0.8 0.9 0.0
High school graduates, no college (3).... 3.7 2.0 1.6 0.1
Some college or associate degree ........ 6.2 3.3 1.5 -0.2
Bachelor's degree and higher (4)......... 5.9 5.3 1.7 0.0
Hispanic or Latino ........................ 5.9 2.7 1.9 -0.1
Less than a high school diploma ......... 1.5 1.8 1.1 -1.0
High school graduates, no college (3).... 5.9 2.3 1.0 -0.3
Some college or associate degree ........ 6.3 2.5 2.3 0.2
Bachelor's degree and higher (4)......... 9.7 4.8 4.5 0.6
(1) This category excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978.
(2) This category excludes individuals who had not yet turned age 57 when
interviewed in 2020-21.
(3) Includes individuals with a high school diploma or equivalent.
(4) Includes individuals with bachelor's, master's, professional, or doctoral degrees.
Note: The CPI-U-RS was used to adjust hourly earnings to constant 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 55 to 64 in
2020-21. Educational attainment is defined as of the 2020-21 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 6. Marital status at age 24, age 34, age 44, and age 56 by educational attainment, sex, race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
Characteristic Percent of individuals
Age 24 (in 1980-1989) Age 34 (in 1990-1998) (3) Age 44 (in 2000-2009) Age 56 (in 2012-2021)
Not Married Married Not Married Married Not Married Married Not Married Married
Total ................................... 56.6 43.4 32.0 68.0 29.6 70.4 34.7 65.3
Less than a high school diploma........ 51.1 48.9 40.8 59.2 45.2 54.8 49.9 50.1
High school graduates, no college (1).. 50.3 49.7 33.8 66.2 32.6 67.4 38.2 61.8
Some college or associate degree....... 54.4 45.6 33.3 66.7 30.6 69.4 36.3 63.7
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)....... 68.5 31.5 26.2 73.8 21.3 78.7 24.9 75.1
Men ..................................... 62.8 37.2 33.3 66.7 29.6 70.4 33.1 66.9
Less than a high school diploma........ 55.2 44.8 42.5 57.5 44.1 55.9 50.3 49.7
High school graduates, no college (1).. 58.0 42.0 37.4 62.6 34.2 65.8 38.2 61.8
Some college or associate degree....... 61.2 38.8 33.5 66.5 30.3 69.7 34.2 65.8
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)....... 73.4 26.6 24.3 75.7 18.9 81.1 20.1 80.0
Women ................................... 50.1 49.9 30.7 69.3 29.6 70.4 36.4 63.6
Less than a high school diploma ....... 45.1 54.9 38.3 61.7 46.8 53.2 49.3 50.7
High school graduates, no college (1).. 41.6 58.4 29.7 70.3 30.8 69.2 38.1 61.9
Some college or associate degree ...... 48.6 51.4 33.2 66.8 30.9 69.1 38.1 61.9
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)....... 63.6 36.4 28.1 71.9 23.7 76.3 29.9 70.1
White non-Hispanic ...................... 54.2 45.8 28.0 72.0 25.7 74.3 30.4 69.6
Less than a high school diploma ....... 43.4 56.6 33.9 66.1 41.1 58.9 44.3 55.7
High school graduates, no college (1).. 46.0 54.0 29.1 70.9 27.9 72.1 33.6 66.4
Some college or associate degree ...... 51.8 48.2 29.2 70.8 26.3 73.7 31.7 68.3
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)....... 67.8 32.2 24.9 75.1 20.0 80.0 23.3 76.7
Black non-Hispanic ...................... 71.3 28.7 54.0 46.0 49.9 50.1 54.7 45.3
Less than a high school diploma ....... 80.8 19.2 70.3 29.7 67.2 32.8 71.8 28.2
High school graduates, no college (1).. 71.7 28.3 56.2 43.8 53.0 47.0 56.8 43.2
Some college or associate degree ...... 65.2 34.8 53.2 46.8 48.7 51.3 54.5 45.5
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)....... 75.5 24.5 41.0 59.0 34.4 65.6 40.5 59.5
Hispanic or Latino ...................... 53.8 46.2 33.1 66.9 34.6 65.4 42.5 57.5
Less than a high school diploma........ 45.5 54.5 33.9 66.1 34.2 65.8 45.7 54.3
High school graduates, no college (1).. 49.4 50.6 36.0 64.0 39.0 61.0 45.8 54.2
Some college or associate degree ...... 57.1 42.9 32.1 67.9 35.2 64.8 42.7 57.3
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)....... 68.5 31.5 26.1 73.9 21.4 78.6 29.1 70.9
(1) Includes individuals with a high school diploma or equivalent.
(2) Includes individuals with bachelor's, master's, professional, or doctoral degrees.
(3) Interviews were not conducted in 1999.
Note: 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 55 to 64 in 2020-21. Educational attainment is determined as of the 2020-21 survey. Marital
status is determined for the interview date in which the respondent first turned age 24, age 34, age 44, or age 56. If not interviewed at that
age, then marital status is determined for the prior age. 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 7. Percent of weeks individuals were employed, unemployed, or not in the labor force from ages 18 through 56 in 1978-2020 by marital status, educational attainment,
sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
Characteristic Percent of total weeks while ages 18 to 34 in 1979-1998 Percent of total weeks while ages 35 to 56 in 1992-2020
Not Married at age 34 Married at age 34 Not Married at age 56 Married at age 56
Not in Not in Not in Not in
Employed Unemployed labor force Employed Unemployed labor force Employed Unemployed labor force Employed Unemployed labor force
Total ................................. 72.1 7.4 20.4 78.0 4.3 17.7 74.2 5.3 20.5 83.5 2.4 14.1
Less than a high school diploma ...... 56.3 11.3 32.4 60.9 7.9 31.2 55.0 6.3 38.7 64.4 4.1 31.5
High school graduates, no college (1). 70.6 8.7 20.6 77.6 5.3 17.1 69.4 6.3 24.3 82.2 2.8 15.0
Some college or associate degree ..... 74.9 6.9 18.2 79.4 4.1 16.5 77.3 5.2 17.5 82.9 2.5 14.6
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)...... 78.1 4.1 17.8 80.4 2.6 17.1 89.0 2.8 8.1 88.7 1.4 9.8
Men ................................... 75.8 8.5 15.7 86.0 4.5 9.5 75.0 6.3 18.8 91.0 2.4 6.7
Less than a high school diploma ...... 66.5 14.0 19.5 75.4 9.4 15.2 58.2 7.5 34.3 74.2 4.2 21.6
High school graduates, no college (1). 75.6 9.7 14.7 88.1 5.7 6.2 69.8 7.6 22.6 89.6 2.6 7.8
Some college or associate degree...... 79.1 7.3 13.7 89.0 3.7 7.3 80.3 5.2 14.4 90.9 2.4 6.6
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)...... 77.2 4.6 18.3 83.4 2.5 14.0 92.4 3.4 4.2 95.7 1.6 2.7
Women ................................. 67.7 6.1 26.2 70.3 4.1 25.6 73.4 4.4 22.1 75.4 2.4 22.2
Less than a high school diploma ...... 41.4 7.4 51.2 42.5 6.0 51.5 50.7 4.7 44.6 50.2 3.9 45.9
High school graduates, no college (1). 63.1 7.2 29.7 66.6 5.0 28.5 68.9 5.0 26.1 73.8 3.1 23.1
Some college or associate degree ..... 71.4 6.5 22.1 71.5 4.4 24.0 75.1 5.2 19.7 75.7 2.7 21.7
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)...... 79.1 3.6 17.3 77.6 2.6 19.8 86.8 2.4 10.8 80.7 1.2 18.1
White non-Hispanic .................... 77.2 6.0 16.8 78.9 3.9 17.3 77.3 4.6 18.1 84.2 2.1 13.7
Less than a high school diploma ...... 66.5 10.4 23.1 62.4 8.0 29.6 59.3 5.1 35.6 65.8 3.6 30.6
High school graduates, no college (1). 77.2 6.9 15.9 78.7 4.8 16.5 72.0 5.8 22.2 83.2 2.5 14.3
Some college or associate degree ..... 78.4 5.8 15.8 80.4 3.7 15.9 79.5 4.6 15.9 83.0 2.3 14.7
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)...... 78.9 3.7 17.5 80.4 2.4 17.2 90.1 2.3 7.5 88.7 1.3 10.0
Black non-Hispanic .................... 58.5 11.8 29.7 73.0 7.8 19.2 66.4 7.2 26.5 79.4 4.5 16.1
Less than a high school diploma ...... 39.0 13.2 47.8 60.4 10.0 29.5 44.8 8.0 47.2 57.3 8.1 34.5
High school graduates, no college (1). 54.8 13.6 31.5 70.1 9.9 20.1 63.6 7.9 28.4 75.1 4.9 20.0
Some college or associate degree ..... 65.8 10.1 24.1 74.6 6.6 18.8 72.5 6.3 21.1 81.7 4.4 13.9
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)...... 73.8 7.2 19.1 79.1 4.8 16.1 83.5 5.6 10.9 89.5 3.0 7.5
Hispanic or Latino .................... 65.1 7.8 27.0 73.7 4.6 21.7 68.6 6.1 25.3 79.8 3.2 17.0
Less than a high school diploma ...... 47.7 11.4 41.0 53.9 6.4 39.7 59.0 7.9 33.1 62.3 3.9 33.7
High school graduates, no college (1). 63.5 9.0 27.5 75.6 4.9 19.4 64.7 5.6 29.6 80.7 4.2 15.1
Some college or associate degree ..... 78.0 4.7 17.3 76.3 4.2 19.5 74.0 6.9 19.1 83.1 2.3 14.6
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)...... 73.1 3.8 23.1 83.0 2.5 14.6 85.8 2.8 11.4 88.1 1.7 10.2
(1) Includes individuals with a high school diploma or equivalent.
(2) Includes individuals with bachelor's, master's, professional, or doctoral degrees.
Note: 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 55 to 64 in 2020-21.
Educational attainment is determined as of the 2020-21 survey. Marital status is determined for the interview date in which the respondent first turned age 34 or age 56. If not interviewed at that age, then the
marital status is determined using the data from the prior age. 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 8. Percent of individuals whose health limits the kind or amount of work they can do by age,
educational attainment, sex, race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
Characteristic Percent of individuals
Age 24 Age 34 Age 44 Age 56
(in 1980-1989) (in 1990-1998) (3) (in 2000-2009) (in 2012-2021)
Total ................................... 3.5 4.8 10.0 21.3
Less than a high school diploma ....... 5.7 5.9 22.4 46.4
High school graduates, no college (1).. 3.7 5.2 12.1 24.9
Some college or associate degree ...... 3.2 5.4 10.1 21.4
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)....... 3.1 3.5 4.5 10.5
Men ..................................... 2.3 3.6 7.7 19.2
Less than a high school diploma ....... 2.1 5.0 18.5 41.4
High school graduates, no college (1).. 2.6 4.5 10.2 22.3
Some college or associate degree ...... 1.6 2.5 6.6 16.7
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)....... 2.6 2.7 2.5 10.7
Women ................................... 4.7 6.1 12.3 23.5
Less than a high school diploma........ 11.0 7.4 27.7 53.6
High school graduates, no college (1).. 5.0 6.1 14.1 27.8
Some college or associate degree ...... 4.5 7.9 13.0 25.4
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)....... 3.6 4.3 6.6 10.3
White non-Hispanic ...................... 3.4 4.7 9.0 19.7
Less than a high school diploma ....... 5.6 6.8 21.9 47.9
High school graduates, no college (1).. 3.6 5.1 11.1 23.0
Some college or associate degree ...... 3.0 5.2 9.1 20.3
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)....... 3.1 3.6 4.4 10.1
Black non-Hispanic ...................... 4.5 5.7 15.5 29.9
Less than a high school diploma ....... 7.8 4.7 27.9 50.9
High school graduates, no college (1).. 4.1 5.5 16.7 33.6
Some college or associate degree ...... 4.5 7.1 15.4 26.3
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)....... 3.9 4.1 6.0 15.8
Hispanic or Latino ...................... 2.6 3.8 10.6 23.0
Less than a high school diploma ....... 3.4 3.8 17.0 34.7
High school graduates, no college (1).. 3.2 5.3 12.1 24.8
Some college or associate degree ...... 1.7 3.5 8.2 22.6
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)....... 2.2 0.5 4.3 5.8
(1) Includes individuals with a high school diploma or equivalent.
(2) Includes individuals with bachelor's, master's, professional, or doctoral degrees.
(3) Interviews were not conducted in 1999.
Note: 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 55 to 64 in 2020-21. Educational attainment is determined as of the 2020-21 survey. Health limit is determined for the interview date in
which the respondent first turned age 24, age 34, age 44, or age 56. If not interviewed at that age, then health limit is determined using data from the prior age.
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.
United States Department of Labor
