For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Friday, September 10, 2010 USDL-10-1243
Technical information: (202) 691-7410 * nls_info@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/nls
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov
NUMBER OF JOBS HELD, LABOR MARKET ACTIVITY, AND
EARNINGS GROWTH AMONG THE YOUNGEST BABY BOOMERS:
RESULTS FROM A LONGITUDINAL SURVEY
The average person born in the latter years of the baby boom held 11 jobs
from age 18 to age 44, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the
U.S. Department of Labor. More than three-fifths of these jobs were held
from ages 18 to 27.
These findings are from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, a
survey of 9,964 men and women who were ages 14 to 22 when first interviewed
in 1979 and ages 43 to 52 when interviewed most recently during the 2008-09
period. 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 3 decades and provides information on work and nonwork ex-
periences, education, training, income and assets, health, and other charac-
teristics. The information provided by respondents, who were interviewed
annually from 1979 to 1994 and biennially since 1994, can be considered re-
presentative of all men and women born in the late 1950s and early 1960s
and living in the United States when the survey began in 1979.
This release of the latest data from the longitudinal survey focuses on the
number of jobs held, job duration, labor force participation, and earnings
growth. Highlights from the survey include:
--Individuals born from 1957 to 1964 held an average of 11 jobs from age
18 to age 44. These baby boomers held an average of 4.4 jobs while ages
18 to 22. The average number of jobs held fell to 3.2 while ages 23 to
27 and to 2.6 while ages 28 to 32. These individuals held an average of
2.4 jobs while ages 33 to 38 and 2.0 jobs while ages 39 to 44. Jobs that
span more than one age group were counted once in each age group, so the
over-all average number of jobs held from age 18 to age 44 is less than
the sum of the number of jobs across the individual age groups. (See
table 1.)
--Although job duration tends to be longer the older a worker is when start-
ing the job, these baby boomers continued to have large numbers of short-
duration jobs even at middle age. Among jobs started by 39- to 44-year-
olds, 33 percent ended in less than a year, and 68 percent ended in fewer
than 5 years.(See table 2.)
--The average person was employed during 77 percent of the weeks from age
18 to age 44. Generally, men spent a larger percent of weeks employed than
did women (84 versus 70 percent). Women spent much more time out of the
labor force (25 percent of weeks) than did men (11 percent of weeks). (See
tables 3 and 4.)
--The annual percent growth in inflation-adjusted hourly earnings was fast-
est when workers were in their late teens and early twenties. Growth rates
in earnings generally were higher for college graduates than for workers
with less education. (See table 5.)
Number of Jobs Held
Individuals held an average of 11 jobs from age 18 to age 44, with the majority
of the jobs being held before age 27. In this report, a job is defined as an un-
interrupted period of work with a particular employer. (See the Technical Note
for additional information on the definition of a job.) On average, men held
11.4 jobs and women held 10.7 jobs from age 18 to age 44. Men held 4.5 jobs
from age 18 to age 22, compared with 2.0 jobs from age 39 to age 44. The re-
duction in the average number of jobs held in successive age groups was simi-
lar for women. (See table 1.)
On average, the least-educated men held more jobs than the most-educated men,
while the opposite is true among women. Men without a high school diploma held
13.3 jobs from ages 18 to 44, while men with a bachelor's degree or more edu-
cation held 11.0 jobs. Women with at least a bachelor's degree held 11.7 jobs
from ages 18 to 44, compared to an average of 9.7 jobs for women without a
high school diploma.
From age 18 to age 44, whites held more jobs than blacks or Hispanics or
Latinos, although the difference is concentrated among 18- to 22-year-olds.
On average, whites held 4.6 jobs between the ages of 18 and 22, while blacks
held 3.5 jobs and Hispanics or Latinos held 4.0 jobs. From age 23 to age 44,
there was no significant difference in the average number of jobs held by
whites and the average number of jobs held by blacks or Hispanics or Latinos.
Duration of Employment Relationships
The length of time a worker remains with the same employer increases with
the age at which the worker began the job. Of the jobs that workers began
when they were 18 to 22 years of age, 72 percent of those jobs ended in
less than a year and 94 percent ended in fewer than 5 years. Among jobs
started by 39- to 44-year-olds, 33 percent ended in less than a year and
68 percent ended in fewer than 5 years. (See table 2.)
Percent of Weeks Employed, Unemployed, and Not in the Labor Force
On average, the baby boomers represented by the survey sample were em-
ployed during 77 percent of all the weeks occurring from age 18 to age
44. They were unemployed--that is, without jobs but seeking work--4
percent of the weeks. They were not in the labor force--that is, nei-
ther working nor seeking work--18 percent of the weeks. (See table 3.)
The amount of time spent employed differs substantially between educa-
tional-attainment groups. Blacks with less than a high school diploma
(as of the 2008-09 survey) spent 47 percent of weeks employed from age
18 to age 44. By comparison, black high school graduates spent 68 per-
cent of weeks employed. Hispanic or Latino high school dropouts spent
59 percent of weeks employed, compared with 74 percent of weeks for
Hispanic or Latino high school graduates. White high school dropouts
spent 64 percent of weeks employed, and white high school graduates
spent 80 percent of weeks employed. Among those with a bachelor's de-
gree, there was little difference between racial and ethnic groups in
labor market attachment; each group spent 80 to 82 percent of weeks em-
ployed.
The amount of time spent in the labor force also differs by sex, with
women at every educational level and at every age spending fewer weeks
either employed or unemployed than men. Men with less than a high
school diploma spent 69 percent of weeks employed from age 18 to age
44. These men also spent 9 percent of weeks unemployed. By comparison,
women with less than a high school diploma spent 46 percent of weeks
employed and 7 percent of weeks unemployed from age 18 to age 44. Wo-
men without a high school diploma spent more time out of the labor
force, 47 percent of weeks, than employed. The differences between men
and women in labor force attachment were much smaller among those with
a bachelor's degree or more education, but men still spent a larger pro-
portion of weeks employed than did women (86 versus 78 percent).
Labor force attachment varies by age for both men and women. The amount
of time men participated in the labor force increased as they aged until
peaking at 89 percent of weeks while ages 33 to 38. From ages 39 to 44,
men spent slightly less time in the labor force, 87 percent of weeks.
The amount of time women participated in the labor force increased in
each successive age group. Women ages 18 to 22 were employed or unem-
ployed 68 percent of weeks, compared with 78 percent of weeks while ages
39 to 44. (See table 4.)
Percent Growth in Real Earnings
The inflation-adjusted earnings of workers increased most rapidly while
they were young. Hourly earnings grew by an average of 6.8 percent per
year from ages 18 to 22 and by 5.2 percent per year from ages 23 to 27.
The earnings growth rate slowed to 3.1 percent annually from age 28 to
age 32, then increased to 3.5 percent annually from age 33 to age 38.
From ages 39 to 44, hourly earnings grew an average of 1.4 percent per
year. This pattern in earnings growth reflects, in part, the state of
the U.S. economy during the years in which survey participants were in
each age group. For men and women in nearly every age category, growth
rates in inflation-adjusted hourly earnings generally were higher for
workers with more education. Inflation-adjusted earnings actually de-
clined at a rate of 0.5 percent per year for 39- to 44-year-old men
with less than a high school diploma. (See table 5.)
Technical Note
The estimates in this release were obtained using data from the first 23
rounds of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79). This sur-
vey is conducted by the Center for Human Resource Research at The Ohio State
University and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of
Chicago under the direction and sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor’s
Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Sample
The NLSY79 is a nationally representative sample of 12,686 young men and
women who were 14 to 22 years of age when first surveyed in 1979. This sur-
vey 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 noninsti-
tutionalized, civilian black, Hispanic or Latino, and economically dis-
advantaged nonblack, non-Hispanic 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 economic-
ally disadvantaged nonblack, non-Hispanic youths were dropped from the sup-
plemental sample. As a result, the NLSY79 sample now includes 9,964 individ-
uals 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 2008-09, 7,757 individuals responded to the survey, for a retention
rate of 78 percent. Only these individuals are included in the estimates in
this release. All results are weighted using the 2008-09 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 esti-
mates require a survey that interviews the same people over the course of
their entire work life and also keeps track of all the jobs they ever held.
The NLSY79 tracks the number of jobs that people have held, but the re-
spondents in this survey are still relatively young, ages 43 to 52 in 2008-
09, and have many years of work life ahead of them. As the cohort continues
to age, however, more complete information will become available.
A unique feature of the NLSY79 is that it collects the beginning and end-
ing 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 in-
formation on the respondent’s labor force status each week, the usual hours
worked per week at all jobs, and earnings for all jobs. If a respondent
worked at more than one job in any week, hours and earnings are obtained
for additional jobs. When a respondent who missed one or more consecutive
survey rounds is interviewed again, he is asked to provide information
about all time since the last interview.
Interaction between time and age in a longitudinal survey
Because the NLSY79 is a longitudinal survey, meaning the same people
are surveyed over time, the ages of the respondents change with each sur-
vey 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 re-
ports earnings growth from age 23 to age 27. The youngest respondents in
the sample (birth year 1964) were these ages during 1987-91, whereas the
oldest respondents (birth year 1957) were these ages during 1980-84.
Although participants in the NLSY79 were ages 43 to 52 during the 2008-
09 interviews, this release covers only the period while the respondents
were ages 18 to 44. The reason for not including older ages is that the
sample sizes were still too small to provide statistically reliable esti-
mates for age groups older than 44. As the NLSY79 continues to be adminis-
tered 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, educa-
tional attainment is defined as of the 2008-09 survey. This definition is
used even when data on age and educational attainment are presented together.
For example, table 1 reports the number of jobs held during different age
categories. Suppose that a respondent had completed a bachelor’s degree at
age 28. That respondent would be included in the "Bachelor’s degree and
higher" educational category in all age categories shown on the table, even
though he or she did not have a bachelor’s degree at any point from
age 18 to age 27.
Definitions
Job. A job is defined as an uninterrupted period of work with a particu-
lar employer. Jobs are therefore employer-based, not position-based. If a
respondent indicates that he or she left a job but in a subsequent survey
returned to the same job, it is counted as a new job. For example, if an
individual worked in a retail establishment during the summer, quit at the
end of summer to return to school, and then resumed working for the same
employer the following spring, this sequence would count as two jobs, ra-
ther than one. For self-employed workers, each "new" job is defined by the
individuals themselves.
Unemployment. If respondents indicate a gap between employers, they
are asked how many of those weeks they spent searching for employment or
on layoff. For that number of weeks, they are considered unemployed. For
the remaining weeks, they are coded as not in the labor force. No probing
for intensity of job search is done.
Usual earnings. Respondents can report earnings over any time frame
(hour, day, week, month, year). For those who do not report an hourly
wage, one is constructed using usual hours worked over that time frame.
Wages greater than $100 per hour and less than $1 per hour were not in-
cluded in the analysis of earnings growth because the reported earnings
levels were almost certainly in error. For the same reason, individuals
who had inflation-adjusted earnings growth greater than 100 percent were
not included in the analysis. These exclusions from the analysis affected
77 respondents.
Race and ethnicity groups. In this release, the findings are reported
for non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and Hispanics or Latinos.
These three groups are mutually exclusive but not exhaustive. Other race
groups, which are included in the overall totals, are not shown separately
because their representation in the survey sample is not sufficiently
large to provide statistically reliable estimates. In other BLS publica-
tions, estimates usually are published for whites, blacks, and Hispanics
or Latinos, but these groups are not mutually exclusive. The term "His-
panic or Latino" is considered to be an ethnicity group, and Hispanics
or Latinos can be of any race. Most other BLS publications include Hispan-
ics or Latinos in the white and black race groups in addition to the His-
panic or Latino ethnicity group.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Ser-
vice: (800) 877-8339.
Table 1. Number of jobs held by individuals from age 18 to age 44 in 1978-2008 by educational
attainment, sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and age
Average number of jobs for persons ages 18 to 44
Characteristic in 1978-2008
Ages 18 Ages 23 Ages 28 Ages 33 Ages 39
Total (1) to 22 to 27 to 32 to 38 to 44
Total ................................... 11.0 4.4 3.2 2.6 2.4 2.0
Less than a high school diploma ........ 11.8 4.0 3.4 2.7 2.6 1.9
High school graduates, no college (2) .. 10.4 4.1 2.9 2.5 2.4 2.0
Some college or associate degree ....... 11.4 4.4 3.3 2.7 2.5 2.1
Bachelor's degree and higher (3) ....... 11.3 4.9 3.5 2.6 2.3 2.0
Men ..................................... 11.4 4.5 3.4 2.8 2.5 2.0
Less than a high school diploma ........ 13.3 4.6 4.0 3.0 2.7 2.1
High school graduates, no college (2) .. 10.7 4.3 3.2 2.7 2.4 1.9
Some college or associate degree ....... 11.8 4.6 3.5 2.9 2.5 2.1
Bachelor's degree and higher (3) ....... 11.0 4.6 3.5 2.6 2.5 2.0
Women ................................... 10.7 4.2 3.1 2.4 2.4 2.0
Less than a high school diploma ........ 9.7 3.1 2.5 2.2 2.3 1.7
High school graduates, no college (2) .. 10.0 3.8 2.7 2.3 2.4 2.0
Some college or associate degree ....... 11.1 4.3 3.2 2.5 2.5 2.1
Bachelor's degree and higher (3) ....... 11.7 5.2 3.6 2.6 2.2 1.9
White non-Hispanic ...................... 11.1 4.6 3.3 2.6 2.4 2.0
Less than a high school diploma ........ 12.7 4.4 3.7 2.8 2.7 2.0
High school graduates, no college (2) .. 10.4 4.2 3.0 2.5 2.3 1.9
Some college or associate degree ....... 11.4 4.6 3.4 2.7 2.5 2.0
Bachelor's degree and higher (3) ....... 11.3 5.0 3.5 2.6 2.3 1.9
Black non-Hispanic ...................... 10.7 3.5 3.1 2.7 2.5 2.1
Less than a high school diploma ........ 9.7 2.8 2.8 2.3 2.2 1.7
High school graduates, no college (2) .. 10.3 3.3 2.9 2.7 2.6 2.0
Some college or associate degree ....... 11.5 3.9 3.2 2.8 2.7 2.3
Bachelor's degree and higher (3) ....... 11.5 4.0 3.6 2.8 2.5 2.3
Hispanic or Latino ...................... 10.7 4.0 3.0 2.5 2.4 2.1
Less than a high school diploma ........ 10.4 3.6 2.8 2.4 2.4 2.0
High school graduates, no college (2) .. 10.4 4.0 2.9 2.4 2.3 2.0
Some college or associate degree ....... 11.4 4.2 3.1 2.7 2.4 2.3
Bachelor's degree and higher (3) ....... 10.7 4.2 3.3 2.7 2.5 2.0
1 Jobs that were held in more than one of the age categories were counted in each appro-
priate column, but only once in the total column.
2 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.
3 Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, or doctoral degrees.
NOTE: This table excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978, or who had
not yet turned age 45 when interviewed in 2008-09. 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 43 to 52 in 2008-09. Educational attain-
ment is defined as of the 2008-09 survey. Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity groups are mu-
tually exclusive but not exhaustive. Other race groups, which are included in the overall to-
tals, are not shown separately because their representation in the survey sample is not suffi-
ciently large to provide statistically reliable estimates.
Table 2. Duration of employment relationships with a single employer for all jobs started from age
18 to age 44 in 1978 - 2008 by age at start of job, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
Age at the start of Cumulative percent distribution of duration Percent
job and characteristic of completed employment relationships of jobs
ongoing
Less than Less than Less than Less than Less than in 2008
1 year 2 years 5 years 10 years 15 years
Ages 18 to 22 .......... 71.8 84.5 93.8 96.9 97.8 1.2
Men .................. 72.2 84.7 93.5 96.8 97.7 1.3
Women ................ 71.2 84.3 94.1 97.0 98.0 1.2
White non-Hispanic ... 71.5 84.4 93.7 96.8 97.7 1.3
Black non-Hispanic ... 73.9 86.1 94.7 97.7 98.4 1.0
Hispanic or Latino ... 71.4 83.9 93.1 97.2 98.2 1.0
Ages 23 to 27 .......... 59.0 75.7 88.5 93.8 95.7 3.3
Men .................. 58.9 75.6 87.8 93.1 95.2 3.8
Women ................ 59.1 75.8 89.2 94.5 96.3 2.6
White non-Hispanic ... 58.1 74.9 88.0 93.5 95.5 3.4
Black non-Hispanic ... 62.6 78.8 90.5 94.8 96.4 2.8
Hispanic or Latino ... 61.0 77.3 89.3 94.1 96.1 3.1
Ages 28 to 32 .......... 51.4 68.1 84.3 91.3 93.8 5.7
Men .................. 51.3 67.5 83.7 90.5 93.2 6.3
Women ................ 51.5 68.8 85.1 92.2 94.4 5.0
White non-Hispanic ... 49.9 66.6 83.4 90.6 93.3 6.2
Black non-Hispanic ... 57.1 74.0 88.1 93.7 95.5 4.0
Hispanic or Latino ... 53.6 69.9 85.5 92.8 95.1 4.2
Ages 33 to 38 .......... 41.3 58.4 78.8 87.7 (1) 11.1
Men .................. 40.1 57.7 77.8 86.8 (1) 11.8
Women ................ 42.4 59.1 79.8 88.6 (1) 10.4
White non-Hispanic ... 39.7 56.7 77.5 86.9 (1) 11.9
Black non-Hispanic ... 46.5 64.8 83.9 90.9 (1) 8.2
Hispanic or Latino ... 43.8 60.5 80.1 88.5 (1) 10.4
Ages 39 to 44 .......... 33.5 50.9 67.6 (1) (1) 28.5
Men .................. 32.4 50.2 67.2 (1) (1) 29.1
Women ................ 34.6 51.6 68.0 (1) (1) 27.9
White non-Hispanic ... 35.5 53.3 73.0 (1) (1) 24.2
Black non-Hispanic ... 35.5 54.1 72.3 (1) (1) 23.8
Hispanic or Latino ... 35.5 53.3 73.0 (1) (1) 24.2
1 Estimates are not presented for these categories because most sample members were not yet
old enough at the time of the 2008-09 survey to have completed jobs of these durations.
NOTE: The age category of 18 to 22 excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978.
The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 consists of men and women who were born in the
years 1957-64 and were ages 14 to 22 when first interviewed in 1979. These individuals were ages
43 to 52 in 2008-09. Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity groups are mutually exclusive but not
exhaustive. Other race groups, which are included in the overall totals, are not shown separately
because their representation in the survey sample is not sufficiently large to provide statistically
reliable estimates.
Table 3. Percent of weeks individuals were employed, unemployed, or not in the labor
force from age 18 to age 44 in 1978-2008 by educational attainment, sex, race, and
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
Percent of total weeks while ages 18 to 44
Characteristic in 1978-2008
Employed Unemployed Not in
labor Force
Total, ages 18 to 44 in 1978-2008 ............ 77.2 4.4 17.6
Less than a high school diploma ............ 59.9 8.1 30.9
High school graduates, no college (1) ...... 77.8 4.9 16.6
Some college or associate degree ........... 79.8 4.0 15.4
Bachelor's degree and higher (2)............ 82.3 2.5 14.7
Men .......................................... 83.8 4.9 10.5
Less than a high school diploma ............ 69.4 9.3 20.1
High school graduates, no college (1) ...... 86.1 5.2 8.0
Some college or associate degree ........... 86.7 4.2 8.3
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ........... 86.4 2.6 10.5
Women ........................................ 70.3 4.0 25.0
Less than a high school diploma ............ 45.9 6.5 46.8
High school graduates, no college (1) ...... 68.9 4.6 25.8
Some college or associate degree ........... 73.9 3.8 21.4
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ........... 78.2 2.3 18.9
White non-Hispanic ........................... 79.3 3.7 16.3
Less than a high school diploma ............ 63.9 7.4 27.6
High school graduates, no college (1) ...... 80.2 4.1 15.1
Some college or associate degree ........... 81.1 3.2 14.8
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ........... 82.4 2.3 14.8
Black non-Hispanic ........................... 68.7 8.2 22.2
Less than a high school diploma ............ 47.2 11.5 40.6
High school graduates, no college (1) ...... 68.3 9.0 21.7
Some college or associate degree ........... 74.7 7.3 17.2
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ........... 82.0 4.0 13.1
Hispanic or Latino .......................... 71.9 5.4 21.8
Less than a high school diploma ............ 59.4 7.9 31.5
High school graduates, no college (1) ...... 74.4 5.2 19.6
Some college or associate degree ........... 78.3 4.1 16.4
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ........... 79.8 2.9 16.6
1 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.
2 Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, or doctoral degrees.
NOTE: This table excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978, or who
had not yet turned age 45 when interviewed in 2008-09. Totals do not add to 100 percent
due to a small number of respondents whose employment status cannot be determined for all
weeks. The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 consists of men and women who were
born in the years 1957-64 and were ages 14 to 22 when first interviewed in 1979. These
individuals were ages 43 to 52 in 2008-09. Educational attainment is defined as of the
2008-09 survey. Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity groups are mutually exclusive but not
exhaustive. Other race groups, which are included in the overall totals, are not shown
separately because their representation in the survey sample is not sufficiently large to
provide statistically reliable estimates.
Table 4. Percent of weeks individuals were employed, unemployed, or not in the labor force
from age 18 to age 44 in 1978-2008 by age, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
Percent of total weeks
Age and characteristic Not in
Employed Unemployed labor force
Total, ages 18 to 44 in 1978-2008 (1) ............... 77.2 4.4 17.6
Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1986 (2) .................... 64.5 8.8 26.3
Ages 23 to 27 in 1980-1991 ........................ 77.2 5.5 16.9
Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1996 ........................ 79.3 3.7 16.3
Ages 33 to 38 in 1990-2002 ........................ 81.8 2.9 14.8
Ages 39 to 44 in 1995-2008 (3) .................... 81.5 2.9 14.3
Men, ages 18 to 44 in 1978-2008 (1) ................. 83.8 4.9 10.5
Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1986 (2) .................... 68.8 9.8 20.7
Ages 23 to 27 in 1980-1991 ........................ 84.8 6.4 8.3
Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1996 ........................ 88.0 4.1 7.1
Ages 33 to 38 in 1990-2002 ........................ 89.3 3.0 7.1
Ages 39 to 44 in 1995-2008 (3) .................... 87.3 3.1 8.4
Women, ages 18 to 44 in 1978-2008 (1) ............... 70.3 4.0 25.0
Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1986 (2) .................... 59.9 7.6 32.0
Ages 23 to 27 in 1980-1991 ........................ 69.3 4.6 25.8
Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1996 ........................ 70.3 3.4 25.9
Ages 33 to 38 in 1990-2002 ........................ 74.1 2.7 22.8
Ages 39 to 44 in 1995-2008 (3) .................... 75.6 2.8 20.5
White non-Hispanic, ages 18 to 44 in 1978-2008 (1) .. 79.3 3.7 16.3
Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1986 (2) .................... 67.3 7.7 24.5
Ages 23 to 27 in 1980-1991 ........................ 79.5 4.6 15.4
Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1996 ........................ 81.3 3.0 15.1
Ages 33 to 38 in 1990-2002 ........................ 83.5 2.2 13.8
Ages 39 to 44 in 1995-2008 (3) .................... 82.9 2.4 13.5
Black non-Hispanic, ages 18 to 44 in 1978-2008 (1) .. 68.7 8.2 22.2
Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1986 (2) .................... 51.8 14.4 33.4
Ages 23 to 27 in 1980-1991 ........................ 67.8 10.2 21.5
Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1996 ........................ 70.8 7.5 20.8
Ages 33 to 38 in 1990-2002 ........................ 75.1 5.9 18.6
Ages 39 to 44 in 1995-2008 (3) .................... 75.6 5.6 17.6
Hispanic or Latino, ages 18 to 44 in 1978-2008 (1) .. 71.9 5.4 21.8
Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1986 (2) .................... 59.9 9.4 30.2
Ages 23 to 27 in 1980-1991 ........................ 70.7 6.3 22.4
Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1996 ........................ 74.0 4.4 20.8
Ages 33 to 38 in 1990-2002 ........................ 77.0 3.7 18.4
Ages 39 to 44 in 1995-2008 (3) .................... 78.4 3.7 16.2
1 This category excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978, or who had not
yet turned age 45 when interviewed in 2008-09.
2 This category excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978.
3 This category excludes individuals who had not yet turned age 45 when interviewed in 2008-09.
NOTE: Totals do not add to 100 percent due to a small number of respondents whose employment
status cannot be determined for all weeks. The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 consists
of men and women who were born in the years 1957-64 and were ages 14 to 22 when first interviewed
in 1979. These individuals were ages 43 to 52 in 2008-09. 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 1978-2008
by educational attainment, sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and age
Average annual percent growth in hourly earnings
Characteristic Ages 18 Ages 23 Ages 28 Ages 33 Ages 39
to 22 to 27 to 32 to 38 to 44
Total ..................................... 6.8 5.2 3.1 3.5 1.4
Less than a high school diploma.......... 5.1 1.8 1.9 3.1 .4
High school graduates, no college (1) ... 5.7 3.7 2.3 3.1 1.4
Some college or associate degree......... 7.0 4.8 3.1 3.6 1.3
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ........ 8.9 8.9 4.8 4.2 1.7
Men ....................................... 7.0 5.8 3.3 3.8 1.2
Less than a high school diploma.......... 4.6 2.4 1.7 3.0 -.5
High school graduates, no college (1).... 7.0 4.2 2.1 3.0 1.2
Some college or associate degree......... 7.4 5.7 3.3 3.8 1.5
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ........ 7.9 10.0 5.6 5.2 1.8
Women ..................................... 6.7 4.5 3.0 3.2 1.5
Less than a high school diploma.......... 6.1 .6 2.3 3.2 1.8
High school graduates, no college (1) ... 4.2 3.0 2.5 3.1 1.7
Some college or associate degree......... 6.6 4.0 2.9 3.4 1.1
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ........ 9.8 7.8 4.0 3.1 1.6
White non-Hispanic ........................ 7.1 5.4 3.2 3.5 1.4
Less than a high school diploma ......... 5.7 1.7 1.9 3.4 .4
High school graduates, no college (1) ... 5.8 3.6 2.3 3.1 1.6
Some college or associate degree......... 7.3 5.0 3.1 3.5 1.2
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ........ 9.0 9.0 4.8 4.1 1.6
Black non-Hispanic ........................ 5.3 4.6 3.0 3.3 .9
Less than a high school diploma.......... 3.9 2.0 2.9 2.2 -.3
High school graduates, no college (1) .. 4.7 4.1 2.5 3.3 .4
Some college or associate degree......... 5.1 4.2 3.1 3.2 1.6
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ........ 8.3 8.2 4.3 4.6 2.2
Hispanic or Latino......................... 6.6 3.9 2.3 3.2 2.2
Less than a high school diploma ......... 3.8 3.0 .5 2.9 1.1
High school graduates, no college (1) ... 7.0 3.3 2.0 2.0 2.0
Some college or associate degree......... 8.0 3.8 3.1 4.2 1.7
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ........ 7.8 6.9 4.4 4.4 5.4
1 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.
2 Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, or doctoral degrees.
NOTE: The first column excludes individuals who turned age 18 before 1978. The last
column excludes individuals who were not yet age 45 when interviewed in 2008-09.
The CPI-U-RS was used to adjust hourly earnings to 2008 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 43 to 52 in 2008-09. Educational attainment is defined as of
the 2008-09 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.
United States Department of Labor
