For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, August 26, 2025 USDL-25-1322
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 12.9 jobs
from ages 18 to 58, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Over 40 percent 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 57 to 66 when
interviewed most recently in 2022-23. 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 43 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, training, marital status, and
health. Highlights from the survey include:
--Individuals born from 1957 to 1964 held an average of 12.9 jobs from ages 18 to 58. 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; to 2.2 jobs from ages 45 to 54; and to
1.3 jobs from ages 55 to 58. 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 58 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 45 to 54, the average individual had 21 percent of their jobs end
in less than a year, and 56 percent end in fewer than 5 years. (See table 2.)
--On average, individuals in this cohort were employed during 77 percent of the weeks from
ages 18 to 58. 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 labor force participation patterns of men and women across ages were fairly similar.
For women, time spent out of the labor force decreased from 29 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; increased to 22 percent of weeks between the ages of
45 and 54; and further increased to 30 percent of weeks between the ages of 55 and 58. Men
were out of the labor force 19 percent of weeks between the ages of 18 to 24, and then
fewer than 8 percent of weeks from ages 25 to 44; they increased their time out of the
labor force to 12 percent of weeks from ages 45 to 54; and then to 20 percent of weeks from
ages 55 to 58. (See table 4.)
--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.)
--By their 58th birthday, 75 percent of individuals had received training outside of their
regular schooling that offers academic diplomas or degrees. Participation in training
programs varied by education level: 42 percent of those with less than a high school
education, 67 percent of high school graduates with no college, 81 percent of those with
some college or associate degree, and 87 percent of those with a bachelor's degree or
higher. (See table 6.)
--At the time of their 58th birthday, 64 percent of the individuals were married and 36
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 7.)
--At age 58, men who were not married were employed 75 percent of the weeks from ages 35 to
58, compared with 90 percent for those who were married. The percentage of weeks employed
was similar for women who were not married and married at 58 years of age (73 percent and
75 percent, respectively). (See table 8.)
--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; at 54 years of
age, 19 percent were limited; and at 58 years of age, 23 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 9.)
Number of Jobs Held
Individuals in the 1957-1964 birth cohort held an average of 12.9 jobs from ages 18 to 58,
with over 40 percent 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 13.1 jobs and women
held 12.7 jobs from ages 18 to 58. Men held 5.8 jobs from ages 18 to 24, compared with 2.1
jobs from ages 45 to 54. 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 14.3 jobs from ages 18 to 58, while men
with a bachelor's degree or higher held 12.4 jobs between these ages. In contrast, women
without a high school diploma held 10.7 jobs from ages 18 to 58, while women with a bachelor's
degree or higher held 13.6 jobs between these ages.
At younger ages, White people held more jobs than Black people and Hispanic or Latino people.
This gap decreased over time. On average, White people held 5.8 jobs between the ages of 18 and
24, while Black people held 4.7 jobs and Hispanic or Latino people held 5.1 jobs. Each of these
groups held between 4.3 and 4.7 jobs from ages 25 to 34; between 2.9 and 3.2 jobs from ages 35
to 44; between 2.1 and 2.2 jobs from ages 45 to 54; and between 1.1 and 1.3 jobs from ages 55
to 58.
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 less
than 5 years. Among jobs started by 45- to 54-year-olds, the average worker had 21 percent of
jobs end in less than a year, and 56 percent end in less 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 77 percent of all the
weeks from ages 18 to 58. 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 2022-23 survey) spent 58 percent of
weeks employed and 35 percent of weeks out of the labor force from ages 18 to 58. By comparison,
high school graduates spent 75 percent of weeks employed and 20 percent of weeks out of the labor
force, while those with a bachelor's degree or 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 58, White high school graduates with no
college spent 78 percent of weeks employed and 18 percent of weeks out of the labor force, while
Black high school graduates with no college spent 63 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
72 percent of weeks employed and 22 percent of weeks out of the labor force. Among those with a
bachelor's degree or 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 58; 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 (48 percent) of all weeks between
ages 18 to 58 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 or 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 25 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 on average women spent fewer weeks in the labor force than men, 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 higher between the ages of 18 and 24, reflecting the transition from education
and training to the work force, and between the ages of 55 and 58, marking the ages at which
individuals have traditionally begun to exit the labor force. For women, time spent out of the labor
force decreased from 29 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; increased to 22 percent
of weeks between the ages of 45 and 54; and then increased to 30 percent of weeks between the ages of
55 and 58. Men were out of the labor force 19 percent of weeks between the ages of 18 to 24, and then
fewer than 8 percent of weeks from ages 25 to 44; they increased their time out of the labor force to
12 percent of weeks from ages 45 to 54; and then to 20 percent of weeks from ages 55 to 58. (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 74 percent in the 45 to
54 age group, and then to 67 percent in the 55 to 58 age group. Following a similar pattern, the
percentage of weeks in which men were employed increased from 72 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 84 percent in the 45 to 54 age group, and then to 77 percent of weeks in the 55 to 58 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, to 1.9 percent
annually from ages 35 to 44, and then to 0.1 percent from ages 45 to 55. From ages 55 to 58, earnings grew
by 0.7 percent annually.
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 2.4
percent, while those with a bachelor's degree or higher saw their earnings grow by 9.2 percent at the same
ages. Among 55- to 58-year-olds, those individuals with less than a high school diploma experienced no earnings
growth (0.0 percent) on average, while earnings among those with a bachelor's degree or higher increased by
1.0 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.)
Training Received by Age 58
By 58 years of age, 75 percent of individuals had received training outside of any regular schooling that
offers academic diplomas or degrees. Training programs may make it easier to find a job, improve job skills,
or learn a new job, and include vocational, technical, or trade; apprenticeship; school based; employer
training; training at work by outsider; training outside of work; or other training. (See table 6.) (See the
Technical Note for additional information on training compared with regular school.)
The type of training individuals received varied by race and ethnicity. White people were more likely to report
having received training at work by an outsider than either Black people or Hispanic or Latino people. At 58
years of age, 33 percent of White people had received training at work by an outsider, compared with 22 percent
of Black people and 26 percent of Hispanic or Latino people. White people also were more likely to have received
training outside of work; 38 percent of White people had received training outside of work, compared with 24
percent of Black people and 26 percent of Hispanic or Latino people.
Training was most common for people when they were in their 30's compared with when they were in their 20's,
40's, or 50's. Fifty-three percent of people between the ages of 31 and 40 received training, compared with 41
percent between ages 21 and 30; 39 percent between ages 41 and 50; and 22 percent between ages 51 and 58. Those
with higher levels of educational attainment were more likely to have received any type of training. By their
58th birthday, 42 percent of high school dropouts, 67 percent of high school graduates with no college, 81
percent of individuals with some college or an associate degree, and 87 percent of college graduates had
received some type of training.
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; at 44 years of age, 70 percent were married; at 54 years of age, 66
percent were married; and at 58 years of age, 64 percent were married. (See table 7.)
At age 24, those with higher levels of education, especially those having a bachelor's degree or higher, were
generally less likely to be married than those with lower levels of education. The opposite was true at older ages.
At ages 34, 44, 54, and 58, 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, 70 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, 54, and 58, the percentages of women and men who were married were similar, ranging between 67 percent and 71
percent for men and 62 percent and 70 percent for women.
Marital status varied by race and ethnicity. Black people were less likely to be married than either White people
or Hispanic or Latino people. At 44 years of age, 49 percent of Black people were not married, compared with 26
percent of White people and 36 percent of Hispanic or Latino people.
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 8 percent), and spent fewer weeks not in the labor force (18 percent versus 20 percent). Similar
relationships were observed at older ages. At age 58, those who were married had worked more weeks from ages 35 to
58 than individuals who were not married (83 percent versus 74 percent); they also spent fewer weeks unemployed
(2 percent versus 5 percent) and fewer weeks not in the labor force (15 percent versus 21 percent). (See table 8.)
At age 58, men had accumulated different employment experiences by marital status. From ages 35 to 58, men who
were married at age 58 had worked more weeks, experienced fewer weeks of unemployment, and been less likely to be
not in the labor force than not married men. Married men had spent 90 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 8 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 58
with both married and not married women spending about the same percentage of weeks employed (75 percent and 73
percent, respectively).
At age 58, married individuals also had worked more weeks than not married individuals within racial and ethnic
groups. Among White people, those who were married had spent a higher percentage of weeks employed from ages 35 to
58 than those who were not married (84 percent versus 77 percent). Among Black people, 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 people, those who were married had spent a higher percentage of weeks employed than those
who were not married (79 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 during
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; at 54 years of age, 19 percent were limited; and at 58 years of age, 23 percent were
limited in the kind or amount of work they can do. (See table 9.)
At ages 24, 34, 44, 54, and 58, 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 58th birthday, 50 percent of
high school dropouts, 28 percent of high school graduates with no college, 23 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; at 54 years of age, 23 percent of women and 16 percent of men were limited; and at 58 years of age, 26 percent
of women and 21 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 people were more likely
to report being limited than either White people or Hispanic or Latino people. At 58 years of age, 34 percent of Black
people were limited in the kind or amount of work they can do, compared with 21 percent of White people and 24 percent
of Hispanic or Latino people.
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 30 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 2022-23, 6,413
individuals responded to the survey, for a retention rate of 64 percent (representing a 75 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 2022-23 survey weights that
correct for the oversampling, interview nonresponse, and permanent attrition from the survey. When
weighted, the estimates represent all people 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 many 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 43 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 55 to age 58. The youngest respondents in the sample (birth year 1964) were these
ages during 2019-22, whereas the oldest respondents (birth year 1957) were these ages during 2012-15.
Although participants in the NLSY79 were ages 57 to 66 during the 2022-23 interviews, this release
covers only the period while the respondents were ages 18 to 58. 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 58. 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 2022-23 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 58. That respondent would be included in the
"Bachelor's degree or 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 57.
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.
Training compared with regular school. Regular school is one that offers an academic diploma or
degree, e.g., high school, college, graduate school, law school, or nursing program leading to an RN
degree. Not included as regular school are training at a technical institute, license trade programs,
etc. unless the credits obtained are transferable to a regular school and could count toward an
academic diploma or degree.
Marital Status. Marital status is determined for the interview date in which the respondent first
turned a specific age (58, 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 (58, 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 people,
non-Hispanic Black people, and Hispanic or Latino people. 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 people, Black people, and Hispanic or Latino people, but these groups are not mutually
exclusive. The term Hispanic or Latino is considered to be an ethnicity group, and Hispanic or Latino
people can be of any race. Most other BLS publications include Hispanic or Latino people 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 58 in 1978-2022 by
educational attainment, sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and age
Average number of jobs for individuals ages 18 to 58
in 1978-2022
Characteristic
Ages 18 Ages 25 Ages 35 Ages 45 Ages 55
Total (1) to 24(2) to 34 to 44 to 54 to 58(3)
Total ................................. 12.9 5.6 4.5 2.9 2.2 1.3
Less than a high school diploma ...... 12.7 5.1 4.6 2.8 1.6 0.8
High school graduates, no college (4). 12.6 5.2 4.4 2.9 2.0 1.1
Some college or associate degree ..... 13.3 5.7 4.6 3.0 2.4 1.3
Bachelor's degree and higher (5) ..... 13.0 6.2 4.4 2.8 2.3 1.5
Men ................................... 13.1 5.8 4.7 2.9 2.1 1.3
Less than a high school diploma ...... 14.3 5.9 5.5 3.1 1.7 0.9
High school graduates, no college (4). 13.2 5.7 4.8 2.9 2.1 1.2
Some college or associate degree ..... 13.2 5.8 4.8 3.0 2.3 1.3
Bachelor's degree and higher (5) ..... 12.4 5.9 4.3 2.9 2.2 1.5
Women ................................. 12.7 5.5 4.3 2.9 2.2 1.2
Less than a high school diploma ...... 10.7 4.0 3.4 2.3 1.5 0.7
High school graduates, no college (4). 11.9 4.7 4.0 2.9 1.9 1.1
Some college or associate degree ..... 13.3 5.7 4.5 3.1 2.4 1.3
Bachelor's degree and higher (5) ..... 13.6 6.5 4.5 2.8 2.4 1.4
White non-Hispanic .................... 13.0 5.8 4.5 2.9 2.2 1.3
Less than a high school diploma ...... 13.5 5.6 4.8 2.8 1.6 0.9
High school graduates, no college (4). 12.7 5.4 4.4 2.8 2.0 1.2
Some college or associate degree ..... 13.4 6.0 4.7 3.0 2.4 1.3
Bachelor's degree and higher (5) ..... 13.0 6.3 4.4 2.8 2.3 1.4
Black non-Hispanic .................... 12.5 4.7 4.7 3.2 2.2 1.1
Less than a high school diploma ...... 10.5 3.7 4.2 2.5 1.5 0.6
High school graduates, no college (4). 12.4 4.5 4.7 3.2 2.1 1.0
Some college or associate degree ..... 12.7 4.9 4.7 3.3 2.3 1.3
Bachelor's degree and higher (5) ..... 13.6 5.6 4.6 3.2 2.6 1.6
Hispanic or Latino .................... 12.6 5.1 4.3 2.9 2.1 1.1
Less than a high school diploma ...... 12.1 4.5 4.2 2.8 1.9 1.0
High school graduates, no college (4). 12.4 5.1 4.2 2.9 2.0 1.0
Some college or associate degree ..... 13.2 5.4 4.5 3.2 2.4 1.2
Bachelor's degree and higher (5) ..... 12.9 5.5 4.5 2.8 2.1 1.4
(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 59 when interviewed in 2022-23.
(2) This category excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978.
(3) This category excludes individuals who had not yet turned age 59 when interviewed
in 2022-23.
(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 57 to 66 in 2022-23. Educational attainment is defined as of the
2022-23 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 individuals who started from ages
18 through 58 in 1978-2022 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 2022
1 year 2 years 5 years 10 years 15 years
Ages 18 to 24 (1)....... 60.7 74.7 86.9 92.5 94.8 1.5
Men .................. 60.8 74.7 86.4 92.2 94.5 1.6
Women ................ 60.7 74.7 87.4 92.7 95.1 1.5
White non-Hispanic ... 59.9 74.0 86.3 91.9 94.4 1.7
Black non-Hispanic ... 65.8 79.5 90.4 95.3 96.5 0.8
Hispanic or Latino ... 60.2 73.5 86.6 93.3 95.6 1.0
Ages 25 to 34 .......... 41.7 57.2 74.0 84.1 89.0 4.0
Men .................. 40.4 55.5 71.4 81.5 86.8 4.8
Women ................ 43.1 59.0 76.6 86.8 91.2 3.1
White non-Hispanic ... 40.3 55.7 72.8 83.3 88.4 4.3
Black non-Hispanic ... 48.2 64.5 79.8 88.2 91.8 2.2
Hispanic or Latino ... 44.0 59.6 75.4 85.4 90.0 4.0
Ages 35 to 44 .......... 25.3 40.0 60.4 75.2 82.5 9.7
Men .................. 22.6 38.0 58.8 73.7 81.0 10.9
Women ................ 27.8 41.9 61.8 76.6 83.9 8.6
White non-Hispanic ... 24.0 38.4 58.3 73.6 81.2 10.5
Black non-Hispanic ... 30.6 47.6 69.2 82.3 88.0 6.6
Hispanic or Latino ... 27.6 42.2 64.0 77.4 84.9 7.7
Ages 45 to 54 .......... 21.4 34.5 55.9 (*) (*) 20.8
Men .................. 18.3 31.6 53.4 (*) (*) 22.0
Women ................ 24.3 37.4 58.4 (*) (*) 19.5
White non-Hispanic ... 20.7 33.2 54.3 (*) (*) 22.0
Black non-Hispanic ... 24.8 40.2 62.3 (*) (*) 15.8
Hispanic or Latino ... 21.7 36.7 60.8 (*) (*) 17.0
Ages 55 to 58 (2)....... 23.8 38.2 (*) (*) (*) 37.6
Men .................. 22.4 36.5 (*) (*) (*) 41.9
Women ................ 25.1 39.9 (*) (*) (*) 33.4
White non-Hispanic ... 23.3 38.0 (*) (*) (*) 38.2
Black non-Hispanic ... 28.4 41.1 (*) (*) (*) 33.6
Hispanic or Latino ... 18.7 34.1 (*) (*) (*) 39.1
(*) Estimates are not presented for these categories because most sample members were not yet
old enough at the time of the 2022-23 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 59 when interviewed
in 2022-23.
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 57 to 66 in 2022-23. 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 58 in 1978-2022 by educational attainment, sex, race, and
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
Percent of total weeks while
ages 18 to 58 in 1978-2022
Characteristic
Not in
Employed Unemployed labor force
Total, ages 18 to 58 in 1978-2022........... 77.4 4.4 18.2
Less than a high school diploma .......... 57.7 7.2 35.1
High school graduates, no college (1)..... 75.0 5.5 19.5
Some college or associate degree ......... 78.2 4.2 17.6
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ......... 84.7 2.3 13.0
Men ........................................ 82.7 4.9 12.4
Less than a high school diploma .......... 66.3 8.4 25.3
High school graduates, no college (1)..... 80.7 6.1 13.2
Some college or associate degree ......... 84.8 4.2 10.9
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ......... 88.6 2.6 8.8
Women ...................................... 72.0 3.8 24.2
Less than a high school diploma .......... 46.3 5.7 48.0
High school graduates, no college (1)..... 68.1 4.6 27.3
Some college or associate degree ......... 73.1 4.3 22.6
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ......... 80.8 2.1 17.1
White non-Hispanic ......................... 79.5 3.7 16.8
Less than a high school diploma .......... 61.5 6.4 32.1
High school graduates, no college (1)..... 77.7 4.6 17.7
Some college or associate degree ......... 79.2 3.7 17.1
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ......... 84.9 2.1 13.0
Black non-Hispanic ......................... 67.9 7.9 24.2
Less than a high school diploma .......... 42.9 10.5 46.6
High school graduates, no college (1)..... 63.2 9.5 27.3
Some college or associate degree ......... 73.2 6.7 20.1
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ......... 82.6 4.5 12.8
Hispanic or Latino ........................ 73.0 5.2 21.7
Less than a high school diploma .......... 57.6 7.1 35.3
High school graduates, no college (1)..... 71.9 5.8 22.3
Some college or associate degree ......... 79.2 4.3 16.5
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ......... 84.2 2.6 13.2
(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 59
when interviewed in 2022-23.
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 57 to 66 in 2022-23. Educational
attainment is defined as of the 2022-23 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 58 in 1978-2022 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 1978-2022 (1) .............. 77.4 4.4 18.2
Ages 18 to 24 in 1978-1988 (2) ................... 68.3 7.9 23.8
Ages 25 to 34 in 1982-1998 ....................... 80.1 4.1 15.8
Ages 35 to 44 in 1992-2008 ....................... 82.7 3.2 14.1
Ages 45 to 54 in 2001-2018 ...................... 79.1 4.0 16.9
Ages 55 to 58 in 2002-2022 (3) ................... 72.1 2.9 25.0
Men, ages 18 to 56 in 1978-2022 (1) .............. 82.7 4.9 12.4
Ages 18 to 24 in 1978-1988 (2) ................... 72.4 8.9 18.6
Ages 25 to 34 in 1982-1998 ....................... 88.5 4.5 7.0
Ages 35 to 44 in 1992-2008 ....................... 88.8 3.4 7.8
Ages 45 to 54 in 2001-2018 ....................... 83.6 4.4 12.0
Ages 55 to 58 in 2002-2022 (3) ................... 76.8 3.3 19.9
Women, ages 18 to 56 in 1978-2022 (1) .............. 72.0 3.8 24.2
Ages 18 to 24 in 1978-1988 (2) ................... 63.9 6.9 29.2
Ages 25 to 34 in 1982-1998 ....................... 71.4 3.7 24.9
Ages 35 to 44 in 1992-2008 ....................... 76.4 3.0 20.6
Ages 45 to 54 in 2001-2018 ....................... 74.4 3.7 22.0
Ages 55 to 58 in 2002-2022 (3) ................... 67.3 2.4 30.3
White non-Hispanic, ages 18 to 56 in 1978-2022 (1) . 79.5 3.7 16.8
Ages 18 to 24 in 1978-1988 (2) ................... 70.8 6.9 22.3
Ages 25 to 34 in 1982-1998 ....................... 82.2 3.3 14.5
Ages 35 to 44 in 1992-2008 ....................... 84.2 2.6 13.1
Ages 45 to 54 in 2001-2018 ....................... 81.2 3.4 15.4
Ages 55 to 58 in 2002-2022 (3) ................... 74.4 2.4 23.1
Black non-Hispanic, ages 18 to 56 in 1978-2022 (1) . 67.9 7.9 24.2
Ages 18 to 24 in 1978-1988 (2) ................... 55.6 13.5 30.9
Ages 25 to 34 in 1982-1998 ....................... 71.1 8.1 20.8
Ages 35 to 44 in 1992-2008 ....................... 75.7 6.1 18.2
Ages 45 to 54 in 2001-2018 ....................... 69.4 7.2 23.4
Ages 55 to 58 in 2002-2022 (3) ................... 61.3 4.8 33.9
Hispanic or Latino, ages 18 to 56 in 1978-2022 (1) . 73.0 5.2 21.7
Ages 18 to 24 in 1978-1988 (2) ................... 64.7 8.5 26.9
Ages 25 to 34 in 1982-1998 ....................... 74.6 4.7 20.7
Ages 35 to 44 in 1992-2008 ....................... 78.9 4.1 16.9
Ages 45 to 54 in 2001-2018 ....................... 74.4 5.0 20.6
Ages 55 to 58 in 2002-2022 (3) ................... 67.3 3.7 29.1
(1) This category excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978,
or who had not yet turned age 59 when interviewed in 2022-23.
(2) This category excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978.
(3) This category excludes individuals who had not yet turned age 59 when
interviewed in 2022-23.
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 57 to 66 in 2022-23. 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
1978-2022 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 Ages 55
to 24(1) to 34 to 44 to 54 to 58(2)
Total ..................................... 6.5 3.3 1.9 0.1 0.7
Less than a high school diploma ......... 2.4 1.7 1.0 -0.4 0.0
High school graduates, no college (3).... 5.5 2.2 1.6 -0.2 0.0
Some college or associate degree ........ 5.7 3.4 1.8 0.1 1.3
Bachelor's degree and higher (4)......... 9.2 5.2 2.5 0.5 1.0
Men ....................................... 7.0 3.7 1.9 0.1 0.2
Less than a high school diploma ......... 2.5 1.4 0.6 -1.0 0.5
High school graduates, no college (3).... 5.9 2.3 1.6 -0.1 -0.3
Some college or associate degree ........ 7.0 4.1 1.8 0.1 0.8
Bachelor's degree and higher (4)......... 9.6 6.2 2.7 0.5 0.5
Women ..................................... 6.0 2.9 1.8 0.0 1.2
Less than a high school diploma ......... 2.3 2.1 1.7 0.7 -0.9
High school graduates, no college (3).... 5.0 2.0 1.6 -0.4 0.4
Some college or associate degree ........ 4.7 2.8 1.8 0.0 1.7
Bachelor's degree and higher (4)......... 8.9 4.3 2.2 0.4 1.7
White non-Hispanic ........................ 6.9 3.4 1.9 0.1 0.7
Less than a high school diploma ......... 3.0 1.9 1.2 -0.4 -1.2
High school graduates, no college (3).... 5.8 2.1 1.6 -0.2 -0.1
Some college or associate degree ........ 5.6 3.5 1.8 0.1 1.2
Bachelor's degree and higher (4)......... 9.5 5.2 2.4 0.5 1.2
Black non-Hispanic ........................ 4.5 2.9 1.5 0.0 1.0
Less than a high school diploma ......... 0.3 0.6 0.7 0.5 2.4
High school graduates, no college (3).... 3.8 2.2 1.5 -0.1 0.8
Some college or associate degree ........ 5.8 3.3 1.3 -0.1 1.7
Bachelor's degree and higher (4)......... 5.8 5.3 1.9 0.4 -0.1
Hispanic or Latino ........................ 6.2 2.8 1.9 0.1 0.5
Less than a high school diploma ......... 1.6 1.9 0.8 -1.2 2.2
High school graduates, no college (3).... 6.2 2.4 1.1 0.1 0.3
Some college or associate degree ........ 7.0 2.4 2.2 0.2 0.9
Bachelor's degree and higher (4)......... 9.5 5.4 4.5 0.7 -1.2
(1) This category excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978.
(2) This category excludes individuals who had not yet turned age 59 when
interviewed in 2022-23.
(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 57 to 66 in
2022-23. Educational attainment is defined as of the 2022-23 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. Percent of individuals who received any training from age 18 through age 58 in 1986-2022 by types of training, educational attainment, sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity,
and age
Types of training
Characteristic Any Vocational, Apprenticeship School Employer Training Training Other
Training technical, Based Training at Work by Outside of
or Trade Outsider Work
Total, ages 21 to 58 in 1986-2022 ............................. 74.6 19.0 3.6 6.5 48.6 31.3 35.3 15.9
ages 21 to 30 in 1986-1994 .................................. 40.9 8.4 1.9 2.3 19.5 10.4 11.8 5.5
Ages 31 to 40 in 1988-2004 .................................. 53.2 8.5 1.2 2.4 27.7 16.1 19.8 9.2
Ages 41 to 50 in 1998-2014 .................................. 38.6 3.3 0.4 1.2 22.3 10.8 13.1 2.1
Ages 51 to 58 in 2008-2022 .................................. 22.1 1.9 0.3 1.4 13.0 5.8 5.7 0.8
Men, ages 21 to 58 in 1986-2022 ............................... 72.6 17.7 5.6 5.9 47.0 30.8 33.6 15.6
ages 21 to 30 in 1986-1994 .................................. 42.2 7.3 3.0 2.5 22.2 9.9 11.2 5.6
Ages 31 to 40 in 1988-2004 .................................. 52.4 8.4 1.8 2.4 28.1 16.5 19.2 9.1
Ages 41 to 50 in 1998-2014 .................................. 37.5 3.4 0.6 0.8 20.7 11.0 12.8 1.9
Ages 51 to 58 in 2008-2022 .................................. 20.3 1.9 0.4 1.0 11.6 5.8 4.7 0.7
Women, ages 21 to 58 in 1986-2022 ............................. 76.6 20.4 1.5 7.2 50.3 31.8 37.1 16.2
ages 21 to 30 in 1986-1994 .................................. 39.5 9.5 0.9 2.1 16.7 11.0 12.5 5.4
Ages 31 to 40 in 1988-2004 .................................. 54.1 8.5 0.5 2.4 27.2 15.8 20.4 9.4
Ages 41 to 50 in 1998-2014 .................................. 39.8 3.3 0.2 1.6 23.8 10.6 13.4 2.4
Ages 51 to 58 in 2008-2022 .................................. 24.0 1.9 0.2 1.8 14.4 5.8 6.9 0.8
White, non-Hispanic, ages 21 to 58 in 1986-2022 ............... 75.6 17.8 3.5 6.6 49.6 33.4 38.2 15.6
ages 21 to 30 in 1986-1994 .................................. 41.7 7.5 1.9 2.3 20.2 11.4 13.3 5.5
Ages 31 to 40 in 1988-2004 .................................. 54.2 8.2 1.2 2.4 27.9 17.1 21.5 8.7
Ages 41 to 50 in 1998-2014 .................................. 39.7 3.1 0.4 1.2 22.3 11.7 14.3 2.3
Ages 51 to 58 in 2008-2022 .................................. 22.7 1.9 0.3 1.4 13.1 6.3 6.1 0.8
Black, non-Hispanic, ages 21 to 58 in 1986-2022 ............... 71.5 24.2 4.0 6.8 44.8 22.1 23.6 17.6
ages 21 to 30 in 1986-1994 .................................. 38.7 12.9 2.2 2.7 17.1 6.6 5.7 6.0
Ages 31 to 40 in 1988-2004 .................................. 50.1 9.8 1.4 2.0 26.7 12.0 11.9 11.8
Ages 41 to 50 in 1998-2014 .................................. 34.1 4.3 0.4 1.2 21.8 7.2 8.5 1.4
Ages 51 to 58 in 2008-2022 .................................. 20.5 2.0 0.2 1.6 12.7 3.7 4.7 0.6
Hispanic or Latino, ages 21 to 58 in 1986-2022 ............... 68.8 21.6 3.0 5.2 45.2 25.6 26.4 15.6
ages 21 to 30 in 1986-1994 .................................. 54.3 10.1 2.7 2.6 30.8 18.3 14.3 4.9
Ages 31 to 40 in 1988-2004 .................................. 48.8 9.7 1.0 2.7 26.8 13.9 16.6 10.0
Ages 41 to 50 in 1998-2014 .................................. 35.9 4.3 0.5 0.6 22.6 8.1 9.5 1.8
Ages 51 to 58 in 2008-2022 .................................. 18.1 1.2 0.2 0.5 11.8 4.2 3.7 0.3
Less than a high school diploma, ages 21 to 58 in 1986-2022 ... 41.7 8.9 1.1 1.6 18.3 8.2 7.3 14.1
ages 21 to 30 in 1986-1994 .................................. 18.7 5.6 0.7 0.3 5.7 2.9 1.5 6.5
Ages 31 to 40 in 1988-2004 .................................. 24.0 3.3 0.4 0.6 10.2 4.4 3.8 6.3
Ages 41 to 50 in 1998-2014 .................................. 11.1 0.7 0.0 0.4 5.8 1.3 3.0 1.8
Ages 51 to 58 in 2008-2022 .................................. 4.7 0.5 0.0 0.2 2.9 0.6 0.3 0.3
High school graduates, no college(1), ages 21 to 58 in 1986-2022 67.2 20.4 4.0 4.5 39.7 21.8 24.2 13.9
ages 21 to 30 in 1986-1994 .................................. 33.1 10.4 2.0 1.8 14.9 6.0 6.1 5.6
Ages 31 to 40 in 1988-2004 .................................. 44.3 9.0 1.4 1.4 21.6 10.8 13.2 7.7
Ages 41 to 50 in 1998-2014 .................................. 30.5 3.2 0.7 0.9 16.5 7.5 8.7 1.1
Ages 51 to 58 in 2008-2022 .................................. 14.2 1.1 0.1 0.8 8.3 3.2 3.0 0.7
Some college or associate degree, ages 21 to 58 in 1986-2022 .. 81.3 24.0 4.9 8.0 54.9 34.5 41.5 18.3
ages 21 to 30 in 1986-1994 .................................. 45.2 9.3 2.7 2.7 20.7 9.7 13.9 5.8
Ages 31 to 40 in 1988-2004 .................................. 59.7 11.2 1.5 3.4 30.4 18.3 22.5 11.8
Ages 41 to 50 in 1998-2014 .................................. 45.9 4.9 0.3 1.5 27.5 13.3 15.0 2.6
Ages 51 to 58 in 2008-2022 .................................. 26.5 3.1 0.6 1.2 15.8 6.1 6.7 0.5
Bachelor's degree and higher(2), ages 18 to 36 in 1986-2022 ... 86.6 14.9 2.4 9.2 62.5 47.0 51.9 16.9
ages 21 to 30 in 1986-1994 .................................. 53.1 5.5 1.4 3.3 28.0 18.9 20.5 4.9
Ages 31 to 40 in 1988-2004 .................................. 66.8 6.6 0.7 3.2 37.8 24.5 30.4 9.9
Ages 41 to 50 in 1998-2014 .................................. 49.9 2.8 0.1 1.5 29.5 15.4 19.9 3.3
Ages 51 to 58 in 2008-2022 .................................. 33.3 2.2 0.3 2.6 19.3 10.3 10.0 1.2
(1) Includes individuals with a high school diploma or equivalent.
(2) Includes individuals with bachelor's, master's, professional, or doctoral degrees.
NOTE: The table uses training data from 1986 onwards, beginning when sample members were ages 21 to 29 in 1986.
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 57 to 66 in 2022-23. Educational attainment is determined as of the 2022-23. 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 7. Marital status at age 24, age 34, age 44, age 54, and age 58 by educational attainment, sex, race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
Percent of individuals
Characteristic
Age 24 (in 1980-1989) Age 34 (in 1990-1998)(3) Age 44 (in 2000-2009) Age 54 (in 2010-2019) Age 58 (in 2014-2023)
Not Married Married Not Married Married Not Married Married Not Married Married Not Married Married
Total ..................................... 56.7 43.3 32.1 67.9 29.6 70.4 34.2 65.8 35.6 64.4
Less than a high school diploma ......... 50.8 49.2 41.4 58.6 44.8 55.2 47.4 52.6 53.2 46.8
High school graduates, no college (1) ... 50.4 49.6 33.7 66.3 32.9 67.1 36.8 63.2 38.6 61.4
Some college or associate degree ........ 54.1 45.9 33.2 66.8 30.4 69.6 37.6 62.4 37.4 62.6
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ........ 68.9 31.1 26.8 73.2 21.0 79.0 24.8 75.2 25.7 74.3
Men ...................................... 63.1 36.9 33.5 66.5 29.4 70.6 32.6 67.4 33.2 66.8
Less than a high school diploma ......... 54.5 45.5 43.2 56.8 43.3 56.7 45.4 54.6 50.4 49.6
High school graduates, no college (1) ... 58.6 41.4 37.4 62.6 34.5 65.5 37.1 62.9 38.4 61.6
Some college or associate degree ........ 61.4 38.6 33.2 66.8 29.6 70.4 35.7 64.3 34.1 65.9
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ........ 73.6 26.4 25.5 74.5 18.2 81.8 20.2 79.8 20.1 79.9
Women ..................................... 50.0 50.0 30.7 69.3 29.8 70.2 35.9 64.1 38.0 62.0
Less than a high school diploma ......... 45.2 54.8 38.6 61.4 46.9 53.1 50.1 49.9 57.0 43.0
High school graduates, no college (1) ... 41.2 58.8 29.6 70.4 31.1 68.9 36.5 63.5 38.9 61.1
Some college or associate degree ........ 47.9 52.1 33.2 66.8 31.1 68.9 39.2 60.8 40.2 59.8
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ........ 64.1 35.9 28.2 71.8 23.8 76.2 29.5 70.6 31.2 68.8
White non-Hispanic ........................ 54.4 45.6 28.2 71.8 25.7 74.3 30.1 69.9 31.3 68.7
Less than a high school diploma ......... 44.2 55.8 36.3 63.7 41.3 58.7 42.9 57.1 48.0 52.0
High school graduates, no college (1) ... 46.4 53.6 29.0 71.0 28.4 71.6 32.1 67.9 33.7 66.3
Some college or associate degree ........ 51.4 48.6 28.9 71.1 26.2 73.8 33.1 66.9 33.2 66.8
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ........ 68.3 31.7 25.4 74.6 19.7 80.3 23.5 76.5 24.1 75.9
Black non-Hispanic ........................ 70.3 29.7 53.5 46.5 49.2 50.8 53.8 46.2 56.0 44.0
Less than a high school diploma ......... 78.6 21.4 67.2 32.8 65.6 34.4 63.8 36.2 74.7 25.3
High school graduates, no college (1) ... 70.1 29.9 55.1 44.9 51.9 48.1 55.9 44.1 58.1 41.9
Some college or associate degree ........ 65.4 34.6 53.7 46.3 48.1 51.9 56.6 43.4 54.4 45.6
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ........ 75.1 24.9 41.5 58.5 35.5 64.5 38.6 61.4 43.1 56.9
Hispanic or Latino ........................ 54.3 45.7 33.6 66.4 35.5 64.5 42.5 57.5 43.3 56.7
Less than a high school diploma ......... 44.7 55.3 31.7 68.3 34.1 66.0 47.6 52.4 48.2 51.8
High school graduates, no college (1) ... 49.9 50.1 37.1 62.9 40.6 59.4 45.8 54.2 47.8 52.2
Some college or associate degree ........ 57.8 42.2 32.5 67.5 36.1 63.9 42.4 57.6 43.0 57.0
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ........ 69.1 30.9 27.9 72.1 21.1 78.9 27.4 72.6 25.7 74.3
(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 57 to 66 in 2022-23. Educational attainment is determined as of the 2022-23 survey. Marital status is determined for the interview date in which
the respondent first turned age 24, age 34, age 44, age 54, or age 58. 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 8. Percent of weeks individuals were employed, unemployed, or not in the labor force from ages 18 through 58 in 1978-2022 by marital status, educational attainment,
sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
Characteristic Percent of total weeks while ages 18 to 34 in 1978-1998 Percent of total weeks while ages 35 to 58 in 1992-2022
Not Married at age 34 Married at age 34 Not Married at age 58 Married at age 58
Employed Unemployed Not in Employed Unemployed Not in Employed Unemployed Not in Employed Unemployed Not in
labor force labor force labor force labor force
Total ................................... 72.2 7.5 20.3 78.1 4.3 17.6 74.2 5.2 20.6 82.8 2.3 14.9
Less than a high school diploma ....... 56.2 12.1 31.7 63.1 7.7 29.2 52.5 6.6 40.8 62.2 4.7 33.1
High school graduates, no college (1) . 70.3 8.9 20.8 77.4 5.4 17.2 70.3 6.1 23.6 81.2 2.8 16.1
Some college or associate degree ...... 74.6 6.9 18.5 79.2 4.1 16.7 77.5 5.0 17.6 82.8 2.4 14.7
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ...... 78.5 4.1 17.4 80.5 2.6 16.9 87.9 3.0 9.1 87.6 1.4 11.0
Men ..................................... 76.0 8.4 15.6 85.8 4.6 9.6 75.2 6.0 18.7 89.9 2.4 7.7
Less than a high school diploma ....... 66.4 15.0 18.6 77.3 9.3 13.3 56.3 7.5 36.2 70.4 5.4 24.2
High school graduates, no college (1) . 75.8 9.7 14.6 87.5 5.9 6.7 70.9 7.4 21.7 88.2 2.7 9.1
Some college or associate degree ...... 78.8 7.1 14.1 88.8 3.8 7.4 81.1 4.6 14.3 89.8 2.4 7.8
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ...... 77.6 4.5 17.9 83.3 2.5 14.1 90.6 3.4 5.9 95.1 1.6 3.2
Women ................................... 67.4 6.5 26.1 70.7 4.0 25.3 73.2 4.5 22.3 75.2 2.2 22.6
Less than a high school diploma ....... 42.0 8.1 49.9 46.3 5.7 48.0 48.1 5.6 46.3 49.0 3.5 47.5
High school graduates, no college (1) . 61.9 7.8 30.3 66.8 4.9 28.3 69.6 4.6 25.8 73.1 2.8 24.0
Some college or associate degree ...... 70.9 6.8 22.3 71.7 4.4 24.0 74.7 5.3 20.0 76.5 2.4 21.0
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ...... 79.7 3.6 16.8 77.9 2.6 19.5 86.1 2.8 11.1 79.3 1.1 19.5
White non-Hispanic ...................... 77.1 6.1 16.8 79.0 3.9 17.2 77.4 4.5 18.1 83.5 2.1 14.4
Less than a high school diploma ....... 65.4 11.1 23.4 64.8 7.7 27.5 56.8 5.3 37.9 62.7 4.5 32.8
High school graduates, no college (1) . 77.0 7.2 15.8 78.6 4.8 16.6 73.4 5.5 21.2 82.4 2.4 15.2
Some college or associate degree ...... 78.5 5.7 15.8 80.1 3.7 16.2 79.4 4.4 16.2 83.1 2.2 14.8
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ...... 79.1 3.7 17.2 80.6 2.4 17.0 88.7 2.7 8.5 87.4 1.3 11.3
Black non-Hispanic ...................... 57.9 12.1 30.1 72.8 7.8 19.4 65.8 7.1 27.0 78.7 4.3 17.0
Less than a high school diploma ....... 37.4 14.4 48.2 60.3 9.8 29.9 42.3 8.6 49.1 56.2 7.8 36.0
High school graduates, no college (1) . 53.8 13.8 32.4 69.4 10.0 20.6 62.9 7.9 29.2 73.6 4.9 21.5
Some college or associate degree ...... 64.7 10.3 25.1 74.8 6.7 18.5 72.6 6.4 21.0 81.5 4.1 14.4
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ...... 74.7 7.3 18.0 79.3 4.5 16.2 83.4 4.8 11.8 89.8 2.7 7.5
Hispanic or Latino ...................... 66.3 8.0 25.7 74.3 4.6 21.1 69.2 6.0 24.8 79.2 3.0 17.8
Less than a high school diploma ....... 49.1 12.3 38.6 57.2 6.4 36.4 56.6 7.9 35.5 63.6 3.5 32.9
High school graduates, no college (1) . 64.4 8.9 26.7 75.9 5.0 19.1 67.3 5.6 27.1 77.7 3.7 18.6
Some college or associate degree ...... 77.6 5.2 17.2 76.8 4.0 19.1 74.7 6.4 18.9 82.5 2.7 14.7
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ...... 75.4 3.5 21.1 82.9 2.5 14.7 86.8 2.7 10.6 88.6 1.6 9.8
(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 57 to 66 in 2022-23. Educational attainment is determined as of the 2022-23 survey. Marital status is determined for the interview date in which the respondent first turned age 34 or
age 58. 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 9. 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 54 Age 58
(in 1980-1989) (in 1990-1998)(3) (in 2000-2009) (in 2010-2019) (in 2014-2023)
Total .................................... 3.6 4.9 9.9 19.3 23.3
Less than a high school diploma ........ 5.5 6.0 22.6 45.4 49.9
High school graduates, no college (1) .. 3.6 5.2 11.9 23.6 28.3
Some college or associate degree ....... 3.5 5.6 9.8 18.4 23.1
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ....... 3.2 3.6 4.7 8.5 11.1
Men ...................................... 2.4 3.7 7.6 15.8 21.2
Less than a high school diploma ........ 1.8 4.9 19.1 41.6 45.1
High school graduates, no college (1) .. 2.5 4.3 9.7 19.5 26.4
Some college or associate degree ....... 1.9 2.9 6.7 13.5 19.3
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ....... 2.7 3.0 2.5 6.1 9.1
Women .................................... 4.9 6.2 12.3 22.8 25.5
Less than a high school diploma ........ 11.0 7.6 27.4 50.3 56.3
High school graduates, no college (1) .. 4.9 6.1 14.4 28.2 30.5
Some college or associate degree ....... 4.9 8.0 12.3 22.6 26.3
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ....... 3.7 4.2 6.8 10.8 13.0
White non-Hispanic ....................... 3.6 4.9 8.9 17.7 21.4
Less than a high school diploma ........ 5.6 6.8 22.5 45.6 50.0
High school graduates, no college (1) .. 3.7 5.2 11.0 22.2 26.1
Some college or associate degree ....... 3.4 5.4 8.7 17.2 22.4
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ....... 3.2 3.7 4.5 8.3 10.7
Black non-Hispanic ....................... 4.2 5.5 15.7 27.6 33.7
Less than a high school diploma ........ 7.1 5.1 28.1 54.6 60.0
High school graduates, no college (1) .. 3.7 5.3 17.1 31.6 38.9
Some college or associate degree ....... 4.8 7.2 15.6 24.6 28.4
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ....... 3.2 3.5 5.9 9.7 15.1
Hispanic or Latino ....................... 2.4 3.9 9.9 20.7 23.8
Less than a high school diploma ........ 2.7 3.5 15.7 34.6 36.2
High school graduates, no college (1) .. 2.9 4.8 10.6 21.8 27.3
Some college or associate degree ....... 1.7 4.5 8.1 16.8 18.5
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ....... 2.3 0.5 5.7 10.3 11.2
(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 57 to 66 in 2022-23. Educational attainment is determined as of the 2022-23 survey. Health limit is
determined for the interview date in which the respondent first turned age 24, age 34, age 44, age 54, or age 58. 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
