Technical information: (202) 691-7410 USDL 07-0452 http://www.bls.gov/nls/ For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT Media contact: 691-5902 Tuesday, March 27, 2007 America's Youth at 19: School Enrollment, Training, and Employment Transitions Between Ages 18 and 19 Nineteen-year-old men were more likely to have dropped out of high school and less likely to be enrolled in college than 19-year-old women, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Women who were high school graduates and not enrolled in college during the Octo- ber when they were age 18 were more likely than their male counterparts to be attending college the following October. Moreover, women enrolled in college during October when they were age 18 were less likely than men to have dropped out by the following October. These findings are from the first eight annual rounds of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, which is a nationally representative survey of about 9,000 young men and women who were born during the years 1980 to 1984. These respondents were ages 12 to 17 when first interviewed in 1997, and ages 19 to 25 when interviewed for the eighth time in 2004-05. The survey provides information on the employment experiences, schooling, family background, social behavior, and other characteristics of these youths. This release focuses on the school enrollment and employment experiences of these youths from the October when they were age 18 to the October when they were age 19. Respondents were age 18 in October during the years 1998 to 2003 and age 19 in October from 1999 to 2004. Highlights from the longi- tudinal survey include: --By the October when they were age 19, 76 percent of men had graduated from high school, compared with 83 percent of women. --Among those who had dropped out of high school by the October when they were age 18, 11 percent had graduated from high school or earned a Gen- eral Educational Development (GED) credential by the following October. Another 5 percent still had not graduated from high school but were en- rolled in a training or apprenticeship program, and 2 percent were reen- rolled in high school. --Nine percent of male high school graduates who had never enrolled in col- lege were in the Armed Forces during the October when they were age 19, as were 7 percent of 19-year-old men who had attended college but were no longer enrolled. - 2 - --Forty-one percent of high school dropouts and 22 percent of high school graduates not enrolled in college were neither employed nor in training during the October when they were age 19. --Nearly half of non-Hispanic black high school dropouts were not employed in either the October when they were age 18 or the October when they were age 19, compared with 22 percent of non-Hispanic whites and 30 percent of Hispanics. --High school graduates not enrolled in college were employed 75 percent of the weeks between the October when they were age 18 and the following Oc- tober. By comparison, youths who had dropped out of high school by the October when they were age 18 were employed 55 percent of those weeks. Educational Attainment at Age 19 About half of all youths were attending school during the October when they were age 19. Nearly 45 percent were enrolled in college, and 4 percent were enrolled in high school. Thirty-three percent had graduated from high school and were not enrolled in college, and 2 percent had earned a GED. Nearly 17 percent of youths had dropped out of high school by the October when they were age 19. Men were more likely than women to have dropped out of high school and were less likely to be attending college. At age 19, 50 percent of women were attending college, compared with 39 percent of men. (See table 1.) Non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics were much more likely than non-His- panic whites to have dropped out of high school or still be enrolled in high school during the October when they were age 19. Nearly half of whites were enrolled in college during the October when they were age 19, compared to about one-third each of blacks and Hispanics. Schooling and Training between Ages 18 and 19 The level of educational attainment when a person first left school does not always indicate his or her final level of educational attainment. Ele- ven percent of youths who were high school dropouts in the October when they were age 18 had graduated from high school or earned a GED by the following October. Another 2 percent had reenrolled in high school. Moreover, nearly 5 percent of high school dropouts were attending some kind of training or apprenticeship program during the October when they were age 19. Hispanic dropouts were the most likely to reenroll in high school, while blacks were the most likely to enroll in training. (See table 2.) Three-quarters of youths enrolled in high school during the October when they were age 18 had graduated by the following October, while 11 percent had dropped out of high school and 13 percent still were enrolled in high school. Thirty-four percent had graduated from high school and enrolled in college, and 4 percent had graduated from high school and were enrolled in a training program. Many youths do not follow a continuous path while acquiring their educa- tion. Some youths delay their college enrollment for a year or more after high school, and others enroll in college and then leave before earning a degree. Among high school graduates not enrolled in college during the October when they were age 18, 25 percent were enrolled in college during the following October. Women were more likely than men to have had such delayed college enrollment. Among high school graduates who were enroll- ed in college during the October when they were age 18, 85 percent remain- ed enrolled in college during the following October, and 15 percent had dropped out of college. - 3 - Five percent of youths who were high school dropouts during the October when they were age 18 were enrolled in some kind of training or apprentice- ship program during the following October. Black dropouts were about three times as likely as white or Hispanic dropouts to be enrolled in training. Among high school graduates who were not enrolled in college during the Oc- tober when they were age 18, 6 percent were enrolled in a training or ap- prenticeship program during the following October. Employment and Training at Age 19 of Youths Not Enrolled in School At age 19, labor force status differed substantially between high school dropouts, high school graduates who had never attended college, and youths who had left college. High school dropouts were the least likely to be em- ployed during the October when they were age 19, compared to high school graduates with or without some college. Black high school dropouts were much less likely than white or Hispanic dropouts to be employed. Fewer than two-fifths of black high school dropouts were employed during the October when they were age 19, compared with about three-fifths of white or His- panic high school dropouts. (See table 3.) Seventy percent of high school graduates who had never enrolled in col- lege were employed in civilian jobs during the October when they were age 19. Another 6 percent were enlisted in the Armed Forces, 9 percent of male grad- uates and 2 percent of female graduates. Among high school graduates who had some college experience but were not enrolled in college during the Oc- tober when they were age 19, 73 percent were employed in civilian jobs, and 5 percent were enlisted in the Armed Forces. Forty-one percent of high school dropouts were neither employed nor in training during the October when they were age 19. Fifty-seven percent were employed, including 2 percent who were both employed and enrolled in a training program. Another 2 percent of high school dropouts were enroll- ed in training but not employed. Among high school dropouts, women were more likely than men to be neither employed nor in training. Blacks were more likely than whites or Hispanics to be neither employed nor in training. (See table 4.) Among high school graduates not enrolled in college during the October when they were age 19, 76 percent were employed, including 6 percent who were both employed and enrolled in training. About 2 percent were en- rolled in training but not employed; 22 percent were neither employed nor in a training program. Employment Attachment between Ages 18 and 19 of Youths Not Enrolled in School Among youths who were not enrolled in school during the Octobers when they were ages 18 or 19, employment status varied considerably by level of educational attainment. Twenty-nine percent of high school dropouts were not employed in either October, and 38 percent were employed in both Octo- bers. Among high school graduates who were not enrolled in college in the Octobers when they were ages 18 or 19, 61 percent were employed in both Oc- tobers, and 10 percent were employed in neither October. (See table 5.) High school graduates not enrolled in college during the Octobers when they were ages 18 or 19 were employed 75 percent of the weeks between the October when they were age 18 and the following October. By comparison, high school dropouts were employed 55 percent of the weeks between the October when they were age 18 and the following October. Regardless of the level of educational attainment, men were employed a larger percent of weeks than women, and whites were employed a larger percent of weeks than blacks or Hispanics. Among both high school graduates and dropouts, three-fifths of workweeks were 40 hours or more. (See table 6.) - 4 - Technical Note The estimates in this release were obtained using data from the first eight rounds of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97). The NLSY97 collects extensive information on youths' labor market behavior and educational experiences. Information about respondents' families and communities also is obtained in the survey. 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 Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. Partial funding support for the survey has been provided by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office of Vocational and Adult Education of the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Defense, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Science Foun- dation. Sample The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 is a nationally represen- tative sample of 8,984 young men and women who were ages 12 to 16 on Decem- ber 31, 1996. This sample is composed of the following groups: --A cross-sectional sample designed to represent the noninstitutionalized, civilian segment of young people living in the U.S. in 1997 and born be- tween January 1, 1980, and December 31, 1984. --Supplemental samples of Hispanic or Latino and black youths living in the U.S. in 1997 and born between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 1984. The eighth round of annual interviews took place between October 2004 and July 2005. This release examines the period from the October when respondents were age 18 until the following October when respondents were 19. All results except the first three age categories of table 1 are weighted using the survey weights from the round in which the respondents were age 19. The estimates of school enrollment status at ages 16, 17, and 18 use the survey weights from the round in which the respondents were those ages. The survey weights correct for oversampling of some demographic groups and nonresponse. When weighted, the data represent all people who were born in the years 1980 to 1984 and liv- ing in the U.S. in 1997. Not represented by the survey are U.S. immigrants who were born from 1980 to 1984 and moved to the U.S. after 1997. NLSY97 sample members remain eligible to be interviewed during military service or if they become incarcerated or institutionalized. Interaction between time and age in a longitudinal survey Because the NLSY97 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. The youngest respondents in the sample (birth year 1984) turned 18 during calendar year 2002, whereas the oldest respondents (birth year 1980) turned 18 during calendar year 1998. Some respondents may not be used in all tables if information about their work history is incomplete. - 5 - Definitions School enrollment status. If a respondent was enrolled in high school or college at any point during the month of October, he or she is counted as en- rolled. If a respondent reported no school enrollment during October and also had not earned a high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) credential, he or she is counted as a high school dropout. Training. The NLSY97 obtains information on formal training experiences outside of regular schooling. The training questions explore what kinds of training respondents obtain, where and when they are trained, how the train- ing is paid for, and what skills are acquired. Training programs include: Business or secretarial training; vocational, technical, or trade training; vocational rehabilitation centers; licensed practical nursing or registered nursing programs; apprenticeship programs; adult basic education and GED pro- grams; correspondence courses; formal company training or seminars; and gov- ernment training. Employed. The NLSY97 collects employment histories for civilian jobs and military service. Respondents are classified as employed if they did any work during the specified time period as paid employees, as self-employed propri- etors of their own businesses, or as unpaid workers in a business owned by a member of their family, or if they were enlisted in the Armed Forces. Unemployed. Respondents are classified as unemployed if they did not work during the specified time period but reported that they looked for work or were on layoff from a job. Not in the labor force. Respondents are classified as not in the labor force if they did not work or look for work during the specified time period. Race and ethnic groups. In this release, the findings are reported for non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and Hispanics or Latinos. These groups are mutually exclusive but not exhaustive. Other groups, which are included in the overall totals, are not shown separately because their re- presentation in the survey sample is not sufficiently large to provide sta- tistically reliable estimates. In other BLS publications, estimates usually are published for whites, blacks, and Hispanics or Latinos, but these groups are not mutually exclusive. "Hispanic or Latino" is considered to be an ethnic group, and people in that group can be of any race. Most other BLS publications include estimates for Hispanics or Latinos in the white and black race groups in addition to the Hispanic or Latino 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. School enrollment status of youths during the October when ages 16 to 19 in 1997-2004 by sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (Percent distribution) School enrollment status High school General Educational Characteristic Total High Enrolled graduates, not Development (GED) Enrolled school in high enrolled in recipient, not in dropouts school college enrolled in college college Total, October when age 16 (1).... 100.0 5.5 94.2 0.1 0.0 0.2 Men ............................. 100.0 5.5 94.3 .1 .0 .1 Women ........................... 100.0 5.4 94.2 .2 .0 .3 White, non-Hispanic ............. 100.0 5.3 94.4 .1 .0 .2 Black, non-Hispanic ............. 100.0 5.6 94.1 .1 .0 .2 Hispanic or Latino .............. 100.0 7.1 92.4 .3 .0 .2 Total, October when age 17 ....... 100.0 10.0 86.1 1.5 .2 2.2 Men ............................. 100.0 10.4 86.4 1.4 .2 1.7 Women ........................... 100.0 9.6 85.8 1.6 .2 2.8 White, non-Hispanic ............. 100.0 9.4 87.5 1.0 .2 1.9 Black, non-Hispanic ............. 100.0 12.4 83.0 1.9 .2 2.6 Hispanic or Latino .............. 100.0 12.3 81.9 2.9 .1 2.7 Total, October when age 18 ....... 100.0 15.2 28.0 21.4 .6 34.8 Men ............................. 100.0 16.6 32.2 21.5 .6 29.1 Women ........................... 100.0 13.7 23.6 21.3 .6 40.8 White, non-Hispanic ............. 100.0 13.7 26.7 20.3 .6 38.7 Black, non-Hispanic ............. 100.0 20.2 33.2 20.3 .8 25.6 Hispanic or Latino .............. 100.0 18.5 30.7 28.4 .7 21.7 Total, October when age 19 ....... 100.0 16.6 4.1 33.0 1.6 44.5 Men .............................. 100.0 19.2 4.7 35.5 1.5 39.1 Women ............................ 100.0 13.9 3.6 30.4 1.8 50.4 White, non-Hispanic .............. 100.0 14.6 2.7 32.2 1.7 48.8 Black, non-Hispanic .............. 100.0 23.4 7.7 34.9 1.7 32.4 Hispanic or Latino ............... 100.0 21.3 7.3 38.1 1.5 31.7 1 Respondents born in 1980 were dropped from this category because their school-enrollment histories were not collected for the period prior to the first round of the survey. NOTE: The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 consists of young men and women who were ages 12 to 16 on December 31, 1996. 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. School or training enrollment status during the October when age 19 in 1999-2004 by school enrollment status during the October when age 18, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (Percent distribution) School enrollment status during the October when age 19 School enrollment status during the October when Have not graduated from high school Have graduated from high school (1) age 18 Not enrolled in Enrolled Enrolled in Not enrolled in Enrolled in Total high school or in high training college or Enrolled in training training program school program training program college program High school dropouts ..... 100.0 82.2 2.3 4.6 8.6 2.1 0.2 Men ..................... 100.0 85.4 2.1 4.5 6.5 1.6 .1 Women ................... 100.0 78.1 2.6 4.8 11.5 2.8 .2 White, non-Hispanic ..... 100.0 83.0 1.6 3.5 9.6 2.4 .0 Men .................... 100.0 87.1 1.0 3.7 6.7 1.5 .0 Women .................. 100.0 78.5 2.1 3.2 12.9 3.3 .0 Black, non-Hispanic ..... 100.0 80.2 2.2 10.0 6.0 1.0 .6 Men .................... 100.0 81.8 2.1 9.7 5.4 0.4 .5 Women .................. 100.0 77.7 2.3 10.4 7.0 1.9 .7 Hispanic or Latino ...... 100.0 82.0 6.0 2.7 6.7 2.4 .2 Men .................... 100.0 84.1 6.2 1.4 5.8 2.5 .0 Women .................. 100.0 79.0 5.6 4.6 8.0 2.2 .5 Enrolled in high school .. 100.0 10.5 13.1 .0 38.2 34.0 3.9 Men ..................... 100.0 11.4 13.2 .0 39.4 31.3 4.2 Women ................... 100.0 9.1 13.0 .3 36.5 37.7 3.3 White, non-Hispanic ..... 100.0 8.8 9.0 .3 38.5 39.5 3.9 Men .................... 100.0 8.9 8.7 .5 40.4 36.9 4.5 Women .................. 100.0 8.7 9.5 .0 35.5 43.5 2.8 Black, non-Hispanic ..... 100.0 12.4 21.5 .9 39.8 21.1 4.2 Men .................... 100.0 15.8 23.0 .6 39.6 18.0 3.0 Women .................. 100.0 7.9 19.4 1.4 40.1 25.4 5.9 Hispanic or Latino ...... 100.0 15.0 20.1 .0 39.6 21.6 3.7 Men .................... 100.0 17.7 20.7 .0 37.9 19.6 4.1 Women .................. 100.0 11.5 19.3 .0 41.8 24.3 3.1 High school graduates not enrolled in college . 100.0 - - - 69.4 25.0 5.6 Men ..................... 100.0 - - - 72.1 21.6 6.3 Women ................... 100.0 - - - 66.7 28.5 4.8 White, non-Hispanic ..... 100.0 - - - 69.2 24.6 6.2 Men .................... 100.0 - - - 72.2 20.7 7.1 Women .................. 100.0 - - - 66.0 28.7 5.2 Black, non-Hispanic ..... 100.0 - - - 72.6 24.6 2.9 Men .................... 100.0 - - - 74.1 23.1 2.8 Women .................. 100.0 - - - 71.1 25.9 3.0 Hispanic or Latino ...... 100.0 - - - 70.1 24.9 5.1 Men .................... 100.0 - - - 71.3 23.2 5.6 Women .................. 100.0 - - - 68.7 26.8 4.5 Enrolled in college ...... 100.0 - - - 14.3 84.7 1.0 Men ..................... 100.0 - - - 16.3 82.7 .9 Women ................... 100.0 - - - 12.8 86.1 1.1 White, non-Hispanic ..... 100.0 - - - 13.9 85.0 1.1 Men .................... 100.0 - - - 15.8 83.2 .9 Women .................. 100.0 - - - 12.5 86.3 1.2 Black, non-Hispanic ..... 100.0 - - - 17.1 82.1 .9 Men .................... 100.0 - - - 23.0 76.6 .4 Women .................. 100.0 - - - 13.4 85.5 1.1 Hispanic or Latino ...... 100.0 - - - 19.0 79.9 1.1 Men .................... 100.0 - - - 19.5 79.4 1.1 Women .................. 100.0 - - - 18.6 80.3 1.1 1 Respondents who have received a General Educational Development (GED) credential are counted as high school graduates. 2 A small percent of respondents were enrolled in both formal schooling (that is, high school or college) and training. They are counted in the formal schooling categories only. 3 Training includes any courses, training programs, or apprenticeships designed to help people find a job, improve their job skills, or learn a new job. Training also may include a GED preparation course. NOTE: The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 consists of young men and women who were ages 12 to 16 on December 31, 1996. 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. Employment status of youths not enrolled in school during the October when age 19 in 1999-2004 by high school graduation status, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (Percent distribution) Employment status during the October when age 19 High school graduation status during the October when age 19 Employed Enlisted in Not in the Total civilian Armed Forces Unemployed labor force High school dropouts................ 100.0 56.2 0.7 11.8 31.3 Men ............................... 100.0 60.5 1.2 13.2 25.1 Women ............................. 100.0 49.8 (1) 9.9 40.4 White, non-Hispanic ............... 100.0 62.2 1.0 11.1 25.7 Black, non-Hispanic ............... 100.0 38.5 .2 17.1 44.2 Hispanic or Latino ................ 100.0 59.8 (1) 8.7 31.5 High school graduates, never enrolled in college (2) .................... 100.0 69.6 5.8 6.1 18.5 Men ............................... 100.0 69.0 9.0 6.9 15.2 Women ............................. 100.0 70.5 1.6 5.0 22.9 White, non-Hispanic ............... 100.0 73.9 6.1 5.0 15.0 Black, non-Hispanic ............... 100.0 55.9 6.5 9.1 28.5 Hispanic or Latino ................ 100.0 66.6 4.6 7.3 21.4 Some college, no longer enrolled ... 100.0 73.2 4.8 5.0 16.9 Men ............................... 100.0 73.2 7.4 4.7 14.8 Women ............................. 100.0 73.3 2.5 5.3 19.0 White, non-Hispanic ............... 100.0 74.9 5.7 3.7 15.7 Black, non-Hispanic ............... 100.0 72.6 0.7 8.3 18.5 Hispanic or Latino ................ 100.0 65.9 4.2 7.1 22.9 1 Less than 0.05 percent. 2 Respondents who have received a General Educational Development (GED) credential are counted as high school graduates. NOTE: The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 consists of young men and women who were ages 12 to 16 on December 31, 1996. 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. Employment and training status of youths not enrolled in school during the October when age 19 in 1999-2004 by high school graduation status, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (Percent distribution) Employment and training status during the October when age 19 High school graduation status during the October when age 19 Employed (1) Not employed Total Enrolled in Not enrolled Enrolled in Not enrolled training in training training (2) in training High school dropouts ................. 100.0 2.3 54.3 2.4 41.0 Men ......................... ....... 100.0 2.3 59.6 2.0 36.1 Women ............................... 100.0 2.2 46.8 2.9 48.1 White, non-Hispanic .................. 100.0 2.3 60.5 1.5 35.7 Black, non-Hispanic .................. 100.0 3.0 35.5 5.9 55.6 Hispanic or Latino ................... 100.0 1.7 57.3 0.5 40.5 High school graduates, not enrolled in college (3) ....................... 100.0 5.6 70.5 1.7 22.2 Men .................................. 100.0 6.2 72.4 1.6 19.8 Women ................................ 100.0 4.8 68.3 1.8 25.1 White, non-Hispanic .................. 100.0 6.3 74.0 1.2 18.5 Black, non-Hispanic .................. 100.0 3.3 60.4 2.7 33.6 Hispanic or Latino ................... 100.0 4.3 66.9 2.4 26.4 1 The employed category includes both civilian employment and enlistment in the Armed Forces job, 2 Training includes any courses, training programs, or apprenticeships designed to help people find a improve their job skills, or learn a new job. Training also may include a GED preparation course. 3 Respondents who have received a General Educational Development (GED) credential are counted as high school graduates. NOTE: The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 consists of young men and women who were ages 12 to 16 on December 31, 1996. 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. Employment status the October when ages 18 and 19 in 1998-2004 of youths not enrolled in school at age 18 or 19 by sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (Percent distribution) Percent of youths (1) High school graduation status Not employed Employed at Employed at Employed during the October when age 19 in either age 18, but age 19, but both Total October not age 19 not age 18 years High school dropouts ............... 100.0 29.2 14.6 18.7 37.5 Men ............................... 100.0 26.0 13.5 18.2 42.3 Women ............................. 100.0 33.4 16.1 19.4 31.1 White, non-Hispanic ............... 100.0 21.5 16.2 20.1 42.2 Black, non-Hispanic ............... 100.0 48.2 13.9 15.5 22.4 Hispanic or Latino ................ 100.0 30.1 11.5 16.5 41.9 High school graduates, not enrolled in college (2) ............ ....... 100.0 9.9 11.6 17.4 61.2 Men ............................... 100.0 7.9 10.3 16.2 65.6 Women ............................. 100.0 12.0 12.9 18.6 56.4 White, non-Hispanic ............... 100.0 7.5 11.6 15.5 65.4 Black, non-Hispanic ............... 100.0 17.6 14.1 18.0 50.2 Hispanic or Latino ................ 100.0 12.8 11.6 19.1 56.5 1 The employed category includes both civilian employment and enlistment in the Armed Forces. 2 Respondents who have received a General Educational Development (GED) credential are counted as high school graduates. NOTE: The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 consists of young men and women who were ages 12 to 16 on December 31, 1996. 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 weeks employed or not employed between the October when ages 18 and 19 for youths not enrolled in school during October at ages 18 and 19 by high school graduation status, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (Percent distribution) Percent of weeks, between October when ages 18 and 19 High school graduation status Employed (1) Not during the October when age 19 Total employed Total 1 to 29 30 to 39 40 hours hours hours or more High school dropouts .............. 100.0 54.5 8.9 11.3 33.5 45.5 Men .............................. 100.0 58.2 7.2 11.4 38.6 41.8 Women ............................ 100.0 49.6 11.1 11.2 26.6 50.4 White, non-Hispanic .............. 100.0 61.7 8.6 13.2 39.1 38.3 Black, non-Hispanic .............. 100.0 36.0 9.6 6.6 18.9 64.0 Hispanic or Latino ............... 100.0 53.0 8.6 9.3 34.8 47.0 High school graduates, not enrolled in college (2) ................... 100.0 75.2 14.7 14.1 45.2 24.8 Men .............................. 100.0 78.6 11.4 12.9 53.1 21.4 Women ............................ 100.0 71.5 18.4 15.4 36.6 28.5 White, non-Hispanic .............. 100.0 78.7 14.5 15.2 48.1 21.3 Black, non-Hispanic .............. 100.0 65.5 14.9 9.9 39.1 34.6 Hispanic or Latino ............... 100.0 71.2 13.0 14.5 42.9 28.8 1 The employed category includes both civilian employment and enlistment in the Armed Forces. All weeks when enlisted in the Armed Forces are included in the "40 hours or more" category 2 Respondents who have received a General Educational Development (GED) credential are counted as high school graduates. NOTE: The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 consists of young men and women who were ages 12 to 16 on December 31, 1996. Race and Hispanic-origin 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. Some categories do not sum to the totals because employment status or work hours could not be determined for some respondents during some weeks.