Technical information: (202) 691-7410 USDL 02-497 http://www.bls.gov/nls/ For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT Media contact: 691-5902 Tuesday, August 27, 2002 NUMBER OF JOBS HELD, LABOR MARKET ACTIVITY, AND EARNINGS GROWTH AMONG YOUNGER BABY BOOMERS: RESULTS FROM MORE THAN TWO DECADES OF A LONGITUDINAL SURVEY The average person born in the later years of the baby boom held nearly 10 jobs from ages 18 to 36, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. More than two-thirds of these jobs were held in the first half of the period, from ages 18 to 27. These findings are from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, a survey of 9,964 young men and women who were ages 14 to 22 when first interviewed in 1979 and ages 35 to 43 when interviewed most recently in 2000. These respondents were born in the years 1957 to 1964, the later years of the "baby boom" that occurred in the United States from 1946 to 1964. The survey spans over two decades and provides information on work and nonwork experiences, training, schooling, income and assets, health conditions, and other characteristics. The information provided by respondents, who were interviewed annually from 1979 to 1994 and biennially since 1994, can be considered representative of all men and women born in the late 1950s and early 1960s and living in the United States when the survey began in 1979. This release focuses on the number of jobs held and job duration, labor force participation, earnings growth, and promotions. Highlights from the survey include: --Persons born from 1957 to 1964 held an average of 9.6 jobs from ages 18 to 36. These baby boomers held an average of 4.4 jobs while ages 18 to 22. The average fell to 3.2 jobs while ages 23 to 27, to 2.6 jobs while ages 28 to 32, and to 2.0 jobs from ages 33 to 36. Jobs that span more than one age group were counted once in each age group, so the average number of jobs held from age 18 to age 36 is less than the sum of the number of jobs across the individual age groups. --The average individual was employed during nearly 76 percent of the weeks occurring from age 18 to age 36. Generally, men spent a larger percent of weeks employed than did women (83 percent versus 68 percent). Women spent much more time out of the labor force (27 percent of weeks) than did men (11 percent of weeks). --The annual percent growth in inflation-adjusted hourly earnings was fastest from ages 18 to 22. Growth rates in earnings generally were higher for those who obtained more education. --About 1 in 5 individuals ages 35 to 43 in 2000 reported that they had received a promotion from their employer between 1997 and 1999. Number of Jobs Held Individuals held an average of 9.6 jobs from age 18 to age 36, with over two-thirds of the jobs being held before age 28. In this report, a job is defined as an uninterrupted period of work with a particular employer. (See the Explanatory Note for additional information on the definition of a job.) On average, men held 9.9 jobs and women held 9.3 jobs from age 18 to age 36. Men held 4.5 jobs from age 18 to age 22, but only 2.1 jobs from age 33 to age 36. The reduction in the number of jobs held in successive age groups was similar for women. (See table 1.) - 2 - Differences in the number of jobs held also are apparent between race and ethnic groups. From age 18 to age 36, whites held more jobs than either blacks or Hispanics. The difference is most pronounced at younger ages; whites held 4.6 jobs from ages 18 to 22, compared with 3.6 jobs for blacks and 4.0 jobs for Hispanics. These racial differences nearly dis- appeared at older ages. From ages 33 to 36, whites, blacks, and Hispanics all held an average of about 2.0 jobs. Duration of Employment Relationships The length of time a worker remains with the same employer increases with the age at which the worker began the job. Of the jobs that workers began when they were ages 18 to 22, 72 percent of those jobs ended in less than a year, and 94 percent ended in fewer than 5 years. Only about 2 percent of the jobs that workers began when ages 18 to 22 were still held by those workers at the time of the 2000 survey, when the survey participants were ages 35 to 43. Among jobs started by workers when they were ages 28 to 32, 52 percent ended in less than a year, and 85 percent ended in fewer than 5 years; 10 percent of those jobs continued at the time of the 2000 survey. (See table 2.) Although job duration tends to be longer the older a worker is when starting the job, these baby boomers continued to have large numbers of short-duration jobs even as they approached middle age. Among jobs started by workers when they were ages 33 to 36, 43 percent ended in the first year, and 76 percent ended in fewer than 5 years. Percent of Weeks Employed, Unemployed, and Not in the Labor Force On average, the baby boomers represented by the survey were employed during 76 percent of all the weeks occurring from age 18 to age 36. They were unemployed--that is, without jobs but actively seeking work--5 percent of the weeks. They were not in the labor force--that is, neither working nor seeking work--19 percent of the weeks. (See table 3.) The amount of time spent employed differs substantially between educa- tional-attainment groups, especially among blacks and Hispanics. Blacks with less than a high school diploma (as of the 2000 survey) spent 48 percent of weeks employed, while black high school graduates spent 62 percent of weeks employed. Hispanic high school dropouts spent 60 percent of weeks employed, compared with 71 percent of weeks for Hispanic high school graduates. White high school dropouts spent 68 percent of weeks employed, and white high school graduates spent 78 percent of weeks employed. Among college graduates, there was little difference between racial and ethnic groups in labor market attachment. Black, Hispanic, and white college graduates all spent about 80 percent of weeks employed. The amount of time spent in the labor force also differs by sex, with women at every educational level and at every age spending fewer weeks in the labor force than men. Men with less than a high school diploma spent 75 percent of weeks employed from age 18 to age 36. These men also spent 10 percent of weeks unemployed. By comparison, women with less than a high school diploma spent just 46 percent of weeks employed and 6 percent of weeks unemployed from age 18 to age 36. The differences between men and women in labor force attachment were much smaller among those with a bachelor's degree or more, but men still spent a larger proportion of weeks employed than did women (83 percent versus 78 percent). Labor force attachment is related to age for both men and women, with the percent of weeks employed increasing and the percent of weeks unemployed or not in the labor force falling as individuals grow older. From ages 18 to 22, men spent 21 percent of weeks out of the labor force, and women spent 32 percent of weeks out of the labor force. This age range is a period when large proportions of men and women attend college or receive vocational training, and, as a result, they spend less time in the labor force than they eventually will. Indeed, when these same men reached ages 23 to 27, they spent only 8 percent of weeks out of the labor force. (See table 4.) - 3 - Like men, women were more likely to participate in the labor force as they aged, but the reduction in the percent of weeks spent out of the labor force was much smaller among women than among men. In fact, after age 22, women spent, on average, three times as many weeks out of the labor force as men of their same generation. From ages 23 to 27, women spent 26 percent of weeks out of the labor force, the same percent of weeks spent out of the labor force when these women were ages 28 to 32 and little different from the 24 percent of weeks that women spent out of the labor force when they were ages 33 to 36. Percent Growth in Real Earnings The inflation-adjusted earnings of workers in the survey increased most rapidly while they were young. From the ages of 18 to 22, hourly earnings grew an average of 6.7 percent per year. The earnings growth rate slowed to 4.9 percent annually from age 23 to age 27, then to 2.7 percent annually from age 28 to age 32. From ages 32 to 36, however, average annual wage growth increased to 3.8 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. In every age category, growth rates in inflation-adjusted hourly earnings generally were higher for workers with more education. (See table 5.) Promotions About 21 percent of employed individuals reported during the 2000 survey that they had received a promotion from an employer at some point from 1997 to 1999. Overall, men were slightly more likely than women to have received a promotion. Education was an important factor in the likelihood of men receiving a promotion. Seventeen percent of male high school dropouts received a promotion from 1997 to 1999, while 22 percent of men with some college and 32 percent of male college graduates received a promotion. Among women, high school dropouts were less likely than women in other educational categories to have received a promotion, but there was little difference between high school graduates, those with some college, and college graduates in the likelihood of receiving a promotion. (See table 6.) Whites, blacks, and Hispanics were about equally likely to have received a promotion from 1997 to 1999, but there were differences within educational-attainment groups. Among workers with less than a high school diploma, blacks were less likely than Hispanics or whites to have received a promotion. Among college graduates, however, 30 percent of blacks had received promotions, compared with 28 percent of Hispanics and 25 percent of whites. ______________________________ A Portable Document Format (PDF) version of this news release is available online at http://www.bls.gov/nls/. Explanatory Note The estimates in this release were obtained using data from the first 19 rounds of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79). This survey is conducted by the Center for Human Resource Research at The Ohio State University and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago under the direction and sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Sample The NLSY79 is a nationally representative sample of 12,686 young men and women who were 14 to 22 years of age when first surveyed in 1979. This survey sample was initially composed of three subsamples: --A cross-sectional sample of 6,111 youths that was designed to represent the noninstitutionalized, civilian population of young people living in the U.S. in 1979 and born between Jan. 1, 1957, and Dec. 31, 1964 --A supplemental sample of 5,295 youths designed to oversample noninstitu- tionalized, civilian black, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged 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 economi- cally disadvantaged nonblack, non-Hispanic youths were dropped from the supplemental sample. As a result, the NLSY79 sample now includes 9,964 in- dividuals from the cross-sectional sample and the black and Hispanic supple- mental 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 2000, 8,033 individuals responded to the survey, for a retention rate of 81 percent. Only these individuals are included in the estimates in this release. All results are weighted using the 2000 survey weights that correct for the oversampling, interview nonresponse, and per- manent attrition from the survey. When weighted, the estimates represent all persons born in the years 1957 to 1964 and living in the U.S. when the survey began in 1979. Not represented by the survey are U.S. immigrants who were born from 1957 to 1964 and moved to the United States after 1979. 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 respondents in this survey are still relatively young, ages 35 to 43 in 2000, and have many years of work life ahead of them. As the cohort con- tinues to age, however, more complete information will become available. A unique feature of the NLSY79 is that it collects the beginning and ending dates of all jobs held by a respondent so that a longitudinal history can be constructed of each respondent's work experiences. The NLSY79 work history data provide a week-by-week work record of each respondent from 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 up to four additional jobs. When a respondent who missed one or more consecutive survey rounds is interviewed again, he is asked to provide information about all time since the last interview. Interaction between time and age in a longitudinal survey Because the NLSY79 is a longitudinal survey, meaning the same people are surveyed over time, the ages of the respondents change with each survey round. It is important to keep in mind this inherent link between the calendar years and the ages of the respondents. For example, table 5 re- ports earnings growth from age 23 to age 27. The youngest respondents in the sample (birth year 1964) were these ages during 1987-92, whereas the oldest respondents (birth year 1957) were these ages during 1980-85. Although participants in the NLSY79 were ages 35 to 43 during the 2000 interviews, tables 1-5 of this release cover only the period while the respondents were ages 18 to 36. The reason for not including older ages in these tables is that the sample sizes were still too small to provide statistically reliable estimates for age groups older than 36. 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, edu- cational attainment is defined as of the 2000 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 or more" 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 particular employer. Jobs are therefore employer-based, not position- based. If a respondent indicates that he or she left a job but in a subsequent survey returned to the same job, it is counted as a new job. For example, if an individual worked in a retail establishment during the summer, quit at the end of summer to return to school, and then resumed working for the same employer the following spring, this sequence would count as two jobs, rather than one. For self-employed workers, each "new" job is defined by the individuals themselves. Unemployment. If respondents indicate a gap between employers, they are asked how many of those weeks they spent searching for employment or on layoff. For that number of weeks, they are considered unemployed. For the remaining weeks, they are coded as not in the labor force. No probing for intensity of job search is done. Usual earnings. Respondents can report earnings over any time frame (hour, day, week, month, year). For those who do not report an hourly wage, one is constructed using usual hours worked over that time frame. Wages greater than $100 per hour and less than $1 per hour were not 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 af- fected 358 respondents. Promotions. Respondents are asked a series of questions about promotions received from all employers. In particular, respondents are asked if they had been promoted by an employer since they began working for that employer or since the date of the last interview, whichever is more recent. These statistics are self-reported by the respondents. Race and ethnic groups. In this release, the findings are reported for non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and Hispanics. These three groups are mutually exclusive but not exhaustive. Other race groups, which are included in the overall totals, are not shown separately because their representation in the survey sample is not sufficiently large to provide statistically reliable estimates. In other BLS publications, estimates usually are published for whites, blacks, and Hispanics, but these groups are not mutually exclusive. The term "Hispanic" is considered to be an ethnic group, and Hispanics can be of any race. Most other BLS publications include Hispanics in the white and black race groups in addition to the Hispanic ethnic group. Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral phone: 1-800-877-8339. Table 1. Number of jobs held by individuals from age 18 to age 36 in 1978-2000 by educational attainment, sex, race, Hispanic ethnicity, and age Average number of jobs for persons ages 18 to 36 Characteristic in 1978 - 2000 Total(1) Ages 18 Ages 23 Ages 28 Ages 33 to 22 to 27 to 32 to 36 Total ..................................... 9.6 4.4 3.2 2.6 2.0 Less than a high school diploma ......... 9.7 4.0 3.1 2.6 2.0 High school graduates, no college ....... 9.2 4.1 3.0 2.6 2.0 Less than a bachelor's degree ........... 10.0 4.5 3.0 2.7 2.1 Bachelor's degree or more ............... 10.0 5.0 3.5 2.6 1.9 Men ....................................... 9.9 4.5 3.4 2.8 2.1 Less than a high school diploma ......... 11.1 4.7 3.7 3.0 2.1 High school graduates, no college ....... 9.6 4.4 3.4 2.8 2.0 Less than a bachelor's degree ........... 10.5 4.7 3.5 2.9 2.2 Bachelor's degree or more ............... 9.5 4.6 3.4 2.5 2.0 Women ..................................... 9.3 4.3 3.0 2.4 1.9 Less than a high school diploma ......... 7.8 3.0 2.3 2.1 1.7 High school graduates, no college ....... 8.7 3.9 3.0 2.4 2.0 Less than a bachelor's degree ........... 9.5 4.4 3.2 2.5 2.0 Bachelor's degree or more ............... 10.6 5.4 3.7 2.6 1.8 White non-Hispanic ........................ 9.8 4.6 3.3 2.6 2.0 Less than a high school diploma ......... 10.3 4.3 3.3 2.7 2.1 High school graduates, no college ....... 9.2 4.3 3.1 2.6 2.0 Less than a bachelor's degree ........... 10.3 4.7 3.5 2.7 2.1 Bachelor's degree or more ............... 10.0 5.1 3.5 2.6 1.9 Black non-Hispanic ........................ 9.1 3.6 3.1 2.7 2.0 Less than a high school diploma ......... 8.3 2.8 2.7 2.5 1.7 High school graduates, no college ....... 9.2 3.5 3.0 2.7 2.1 Less than a bachelor's degree ........... 9.0 3.8 3.1 2.6 2.1 Bachelor's degree or more ............... 10.0 4.4 3.7 2.8 2.2 Hispanic .................................. 8.9 4.0 3.0 2.5 1.9 Less than a high school diploma ......... 9.2 3.8 2.9 2.4 1.9 High school graduates, no college ....... 8.7 3.9 2.9 2.5 1.9 Less than a bachelor's degree ........... 8.8 4.1 3.0 2.4 1.8 Bachelor's degree or more ............... 9.4 4.3 3.2 2.7 2.0 1 Jobs that were held in more than one of the age categories were counted in each appropriate column, but only once in the total column. NOTE: The first two columns exclude individuals who turned age 18 before Jan. 1, 1978. The first and last columns exclude individuals who had not yet turned age 37 when interviewed in 2000. 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 35 to 43 in 2000. Educational attainment is defined as of the 2000 survey. Race and Hispanic ethnicity groups are mutually exclusive but not exhaustive. Other race groups, which are included in the overall totals, are not shown separately because their representation in the survey sample is not sufficiently large to provide statistically reliable estimates. Table 2. Duration of employment relationships with a single employer for all jobs started from age 18 to age 36 by persons born in the years 1957-64 and living in the United States in 1979, by age at start of job, sex, race, and Hispanic ethnicity Cumulative percent distribution of duration of completed Age at the start employment relationships of job and characteristic Percent Less than Less than Less than Less than Less than of jobs 1 year 2 years 5 years 10 years 15 years ongoing in 2000 Ages 18 to 22 ......... 72.2 84.8 93.9 96.9 97.7 1.9 Men ................. 72.6 84.9 93.6 96.8 97.6 2.1 Women ............... 72.6 84.7 94.1 97.0 97.9 1.7 White non-Hispanic .. 71.8 84.6 93.7 96.8 97.6 2.0 Black non-Hispanic .. 75.2 87.0 95.1 97.7 98.4 1.4 Hispanic ............ 71.0 83.4 93.0 97.0 97.8 1.9 Ages 23 to 27 ......... 59.3 75.7 88.5 93.7 95.0 4.9 Men ................. 59.6 75.9 87.8 92.9 94.5 5.4 Women ............... 58.9 75.5 89.3 94.5 95.7 4.2 White non-Hispanic .. 58.4 74.9 88.0 93.4 94.9 5.1 Black non-Hispanic .. 63.3 79.2 90.9 95.0 94.9 4.0 Hispanic ............ 59.8 76.6 88.8 93.7 95.0 5.0 Ages 28 to 32 ......... 51.8 68.6 84.7 89.6 89.9 10.0 Men ................. 52.1 68.5 84.2 88.7 89.1 10.9 Women ............... 51.5 68.7 85.2 90.6 90.9 9.1 White non-Hispanic .. 50.4 67.2 83.8 89.0 89.3 10.7 Black non-Hispanic .. 57.7 74.8 88.2 92.1 92.5 7.5 Hispanic ............ 53.1 69.5 85.2 90.4 90.8 9.2 Ages 33 to 36 ......... 43.2 59.9 76.2 (1) (1) 21.8 Men ................. 41.9 59.6 75.4 (1) (1) 22.6 Women ............... 44.6 60.2 76.9 (1) (1) 21.1 White non-Hispanic .. 41.6 58.1 75.2 (1) (1) 22.9 Black non-Hispanic .. 49.4 66.7 80.3 (1) (1) 17.8 Hispanic ............ 45.8 62.1 77.2 (1) (1) 20.4 1 Estimates are not presented for these categories because most sample members were not yet old enough at the time of the 2000 survey to have completed jobs of these durations. NOTE: The age category of 18 to 22 excludes individuals who turned age 18 before Jan. 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 35 to 43 in 2000. Race and Hispanic 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 36 in 1978-2000 by educational attainment, sex, race, and Hispanic ethnicity Percent of total weeks while ages 18 to 36 in 1978-2000 Characteristic Not in Employed Unemployed labor force Total, ages 18 to 36 in 1978-2000 ............ 75.7 5.1 18.8 Less than a high school diploma ............ 62.9 8.5 28.2 High school graduates, no college .......... 75.3 5.8 18.4 Less than a bachelor's degree .............. 78.2 4.5 16.7 Bachelor's degree or more .................. 80.2 2.8 16.7 Men .......................................... 82.8 5.7 11.0 Less than a high school diploma ............ 75.3 10.2 4.0 High school graduates, no college .......... 83.6 6.2 9.4 Less than a bachelor's degree .............. 86.3 4.7 8.6 Bachelor's degree or more .................. 82.7 3.0 14.0 Women ........................................ 68.4 4.5 26.7 Less than a high school diploma ............ 45.6 6.3 47.8 High school graduates, no college .......... 66.5 5.2 27.9 Less than a bachelor's degree .............. 71.5 4.3 23.5 Bachelor's degree or more .................. 77.6 2.6 19.5 White non-Hispanic ........................... 78.1 4.2 17.2 Less than a high school diploma ............ 67.9 7.8 23.9 High school graduates, no college .......... 78.4 4.7 16.4 Less than a bachelor's degree .............. 79.7 3.7 16.2 Bachelor's degree or more .................. 80.3 2.7 16.8 Black non-Hispanic ........................... 65.4 9.8 24.3 Less than a high school diploma ............ 48.4 12.5 38.6 High school graduates, no college .......... 62.3 11.3 25.8 Less than a bachelor's degree .............. 73.0 8.2 18.2 Bachelor's degree or more .................. 79.4 4.5 15.7 Hispanic ..................................... 71.0 5.4 23.1 Less than a high school diploma ............ 60.1 7.9 31.5 High school graduates, no college .......... 70.6 5.5 23.3 Less than a bachelor's degree .............. 77.5 3.9 18.0 Bachelor's degree or more .................. 80.0 3.1 16.3 NOTE: This table excludes individuals who turned age 18 before Jan. 1, 1978, or who had not yet turned age 37 when interviewed in 2000. 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 35 to 43 in 2000. Educational attainment is defined as of the 2000 survey. Race and Hispanic 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 36 in 1978-2000 by age, sex, race, and Hispanic ethnicity Percent of total weeks Age and characteristic Not in Employed Unemployed labor force Total, ages 18 to 36 in 1978-2000(1).................. 75.7 5.1 18.8 Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1987(2) ...................... 64.4 8.8 26.4 Ages 23 to 27 in 1983-1992 ......................... 77.1 5.5 17.0 Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1997 ......................... 79.2 3.8 16.4 Ages 33 to 36 in 1990-2000(3) ...................... 81.2 3.1 15.3 Men, ages 18 to 36 in 1978-2000(1) ................... 82.8 5.7 11.0 Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1987(2)....................... 68.7 9.9 20.9 Ages 23 to 27 in 1983-1992 ......................... 84.8 6.4 8.2 Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1997 ......................... 87.9 4.2 7.2 Ages 33 to 36 in 1990-2000(3) ...................... 89.2 3.4 7.0 Women, ages 18 to 36 in 1978-2000(1) ................. 68.4 4.5 26.7 Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1987(2) ...................... 59.9 7.6 32.1 Ages 23 to 27 in 1983-1992 ......................... 69.0 4.5 26.1 Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1997 ......................... 70.2 3.4 25.9 Ages 33 to 36 in 1990-2000(3) ...................... 73.0 2.8 23.8 White non-Hispanic, ages 18 to 36 in 1978-2000(1) .... 78.1 4.2 17.2 Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1987(2) ...................... 67.4 7.6 24.5 Ages 23 to 27 in 1983-1992 ......................... 79.5 4.6 15.5 Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1997 ......................... 81.3 3.1 15.0 Ages 33 to 36 in 1990-2000(3) ...................... 83.1 2.5 14.0 Black non-Hispanic, ages 18 to 36 in 1978-2000(1) .... 65.4 9.8 24.3 Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1987(2) ...................... 51.3 14.8 33.6 Ages 23 to 27 in 1983-1992 ......................... 67.2 10.3 22.0 Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1997 ......................... 70.4 7.5 21.3 Ages 33 to 36 in 1990-20003 ........................ 73.1 6.2 20.3 Hispanic, ages 18 to 36 in 1978-2000(1) .............. 71.0 5.4 23.1 Ages 18 to 22 in 1978-1987(2) ...................... 60.4 9.2 30.0 Ages 23 to 27 in 1983-1992 ......................... 71.3 6.0 22.0 Ages 28 to 32 in 1985-1997 ......................... 74.3 4.3 20.5 Ages 33 to 36 in 1990-2000(3) ...................... 76.9 3.7 18.4 1 This category excludes individuals who turned age 18 before Jan. 1, 1978, or who had not yet turned age 37 when interviewed in 2000. 2 This category excludes individuals who turned age 18 before Jan. 1, 1978. 3 This category excludes individuals who had not yet turned age 37 when interviewed in 2000. 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 35 to 43 in 2000. Race and Hispanic 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 to 2000 by educational attainment, sex, race, Hispanic ethnicity, and age Average annual percent growth in hourly earnings Characteristic Ages 18 Ages 23 Ages 28 Ages 33 to 22 to 27 to 32 to 36 Total ..................................... 6.7 4.9 2.7 3.8 Less than a high school diploma ........ 5.4 2.2 1.1 4.3 High school graduates, no college ...... 5.8 3.1 2.1 3.1 Less than a bachelor's degree .......... 6.4 4.8 2.5 3.6 Bachelor's degree or more ............... 9.0 9.2 4.6 4.9 Men ....................................... 6.7 5.5 2.8 3.8 Less than a high school diploma ......... 4.4 2.8 1.0 3.2 High school graduates, no college ........ 6.5 3.7 1.7 2.8 Less than a bachelor's degree ............ 7.1 5.6 2.8 3.6 Bachelor's degree or more ................ 8.2 10.3 5.6 5.9 Women ...................................... 6.8 4.2 2.7 3.7 Less than a high school diploma .......... 7.4 0.8 1.4 6.1 High school graduates, no college ........ 5.1 2.4 2.6 3.3 Less than a bachelor's degree ............ 5.9 4.1 2.3 3.6 Bachelor's degree or more ................ 9.8 8.0 3.5 3.7 White non-Hispanic ......................... 7.1 5.1 2.8 3.9 Less than a high school diploma .......... 6.4 2.2 1.0 5.2 High school graduates, no college ........ 5.8 3.0 2.2 3.2 Less than a bachelor's degree ............ 6.7 5.1 2.4 3.5 Bachelor's degree or more ................ 9.2 9.2 4.6 5.0 Black non-Hispanic ......................... 5.1 4.1 2.4 3.7 Less than a high school diploma .......... 2.9 2.3 1.0 2.2 High school graduates, no college ........ 5.2 3.6 1.8 3.4 Less than a bachelor's degree ............ 5.1 3.7 2.8 4.5 Bachelor's degree or more ................ 7.2 9.1 5.1 4.0 Hispanic ................................... 6.5 3.4 2.3 2.7 Less than a high school diploma .......... 3.3 2.9 0.8 2.2 High school graduates, no college ........ 7.7 2.3 1.9 1.2 Less than a bachelor's degree ............ 6.5 3.3 3.2 3.2 Bachelor's degree or more ................ 8.3 8.1 3.8 6.8 NOTE: The first column excludes individuals who turned age 18 before 1978. The last column excludes individuals who were not yet age 37 when interviewed in 2000. The CPI-U-X1 (research index) was used to adjust hourly earnings to 2000 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 age 35 to 43 in 2000. Educational attainment is defined as of the 2000 survey. Race and Hispanic 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 employed individuals ages 35 to 43 in 2000 who were promoted by their employer from 1997 to 1999, by educational attainment, sex, race, and Hispanic ethnicity Percent who Characteristic were promoted, 1997-1999 Total ......................................... 21.4 Less than a high school diploma ............. 15.3 High school graduates, no college ........... 20.8 Less than a bachelor's degree ............... 20.7 Bachelor's degree or more ................... 25.8 Men ........................................... 22.8 Less than a high school diploma ............. 16.5 High school graduates, no college ........... 19.8 Less than a bachelor's degree ............... 21.8 Bachelor's degree or more ................... 32.3 Women ......................................... 19.8 Less than a high school diploma ............. 13.2 High school graduates, no college ........... 21.9 Less than a bachelor's degree ............... 19.8 Bachelor's degree or more ................... 18.7 White non-Hispanic ............................ 21.3 Less than a high school diploma ............. 16.7 High school graduates, no college ........... 20.9 Less than a bachelor's degree ............... 19.2 Bachelor's degree or more ................... 25.2 Black non-Hispanic ............................ 21.5 Less than a high school diploma ............. 10.2 High school graduates, no college ........... 20.6 Less than a bachelor's degree ............... 24.6 Bachelor's degree or more ................... 29.9 Hispanic ...................................... 22.0 Less than a high school diploma ............. 16.0 High school graduates, no college ........... 21.0 Less than a bachelor's degree ............... 25.2 Bachelor's degree or more ................... 27.5 NOTE: Since 1994, respondents have been asked if they have been promoted by an employer since starting to work for the employer or since the date of the last interview, whichever is more recent. 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 35 to 43 in 2000. Educational attainment is defined as of the 2000 survey. Race and Hispanic 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.