Technical information: (202) 691-7410 USDL 01-479 http://www.bls.gov/nls/ For release: 10:00 A.M. EST Media contact: 691-5902 Thursday, December 20, 2001 EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE OF YOUTHS: RESULTS FROM THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF A LONGITUDINAL SURVEY Youths who work at an early age are more likely to continue working as they get older. Eighty-five percent of youths who engaged in work activities while age 14 continued to work while age 15, and 90 percent of youths who worked while age 15 continued to work while age 16. These findings are from the first three annual rounds of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, which is sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. The survey includes a nationally representative sample 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 the oldest were age 20 when interviewed a third time in 1999-2000. The survey provides information on the employment experiences, schooling, family background, social behavior, and other characteristics of these youths. This release focuses on the employment experiences of these youths. Results from the survey classify youths into one of two job categories: Those with "employee" jobs, in which youths have an ongoing formal relationship with a particular employer, such as a restaurant or supermarket; and those with "freelance" jobs, in which youths perform one or a few tasks for several people, such as babysitting or yard work, but have no formal job arrangement with any "boss." Highlights from the longitudinal survey include: --Attachment to the formal or "employee" labor market often forms while in high school. Nearly 65 percent of working students who were age 15 at the beginning of the 1998-99 school year worked at an employee job at some time during both the school year and the following summer, as did 75 percent of working students age 16 and 78 percent of working students age 17. --The percent of students employed during any week of the 1998-99 school year and in the following summer remained fairly stable from September to February and increased during the spring. The percent employed then rose sharply in early summer, peaking during July. --Female youths were less likely than male youths to hold an employee job while age 15. By age 17, this gender gap disappeared. Nearly 80 percent of male and female youths held an employee job while age 17. (See table 2.) --Youths who worked exclusively at freelance jobs while age 14 were very likely to continue working at freelance jobs while age 15. As youths moved from age 15 to age 16, however, they became more likely to move from freelance jobs to employee jobs. - 2 - Youths in Employee Jobs During the 1998-99 School Year and the Following Summer Working while in school was fairly common among high school students during the 1998-99 school year. Moreover, the percent of enrolled youths who worked at an employee job at some point during the school year was substantially higher at each successive age. (See table 1.) The percent of enrolled youths who worked in an employee job during the 1998-99 academic year ranged from 44 percent for youths who were age 15 at the beginning of the school year to 67 percent for those who were age 16 and to 78 percent for those who were age 17. Attachment to the formal or "employee" labor market often forms while in high school. Of all students who worked, nearly 65 percent of those who were age 15 at the beginning of the school year worked during both the school year and the following summer, as did 75 percent of working youths age 16 and 78 percent of working youths age 17. A different measure of youth employment during the 1998-99 school year and the following summer is the percent of enrolled youths working each week. For 15-, 16-, and 17-year-olds, the week-by-week incidence of employ- ment remained relatively stable between September and February, increased in the spring, and accelerated in early summer to a peak in mid-summer. Employ- ment dropped sharply at the end of the summer. The percent of youths working during a given school week in the fall was twice as large at age 16 as at age 15. About 20 percent of youths who were age 15 at the start of the 1998-99 school year worked during a typical week in the fall, as did about 40 percent of youths who were age 16. About 50 percent of enrolled youths who were age 17 at the beginning of the school year worked during any given school week in the fall. During the employment peak in mid-summer, the differences narrowed in the proportions of 15-, 16-, and 17-year-olds who were employed. Work Activity of Youths While Ages 15, 16, and 17 Eighty-three percent of youths worked in some capacity while age 17. (See table 2.) Youths at this age increasingly entered formal work arrangements, working more in employee jobs and less in freelance jobs. The percent of youths who worked at an employee job while age 17 was twice as large as the percent of youths who worked at an employee job while age 15. Likewise, the percent of youths who worked at freelance jobs while age 17 was less than half the percent who worked at freelance jobs while age 15. Forty-three percent of male youths held an employee job while age 15, compared with 35 percent of female youths. Female 15-year-olds were much more likely than their male counterparts to work at freelance jobs (47 percent versus 32 percent). By age 17, nearly 80 percent of both male and female youths held employee jobs, although female 17-year-olds were more likely than their male counterparts to combine freelance work with employee jobs. - 3 - Older youths were not only more likely to work in employee jobs, but, when they did work, they also worked more weeks. While age 17, youths worked in employee jobs an average of 34 weeks, compared with an average of 24 weeks for employed 15-year-olds. (See table 3.) Differences in employment activities are apparent by race and Hispanic origin. Among 15-year-olds, 45 percent of non-Hispanic whites held an employee job, compared with 27 percent of non-Hispanic blacks and 28 percent of Hispanics. Regardless of race or Hispanic origin, the percent of youths who worked at an employee job was substantially higher at age 17 than at age 15. The percent of non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics who worked at employee jobs while age 17, however, remained well below that of their non-Hispanic white counterparts. When employed, non-Hispanic black youths and Hispanic youths worked fewer weeks than did non-Hispanic white youths. For example, among those age 17, employed non-Hispanic white youths averaged 35 weeks of work, non-Hispanic black youths averaged 28 weeks of work, and Hispanic youths averaged 30 weeks of work. Employment at Successive Ages Youths who worked at one age were more likely to work at the following age. Eighty-five percent of youths who engaged in work activities while age 14 continued to work while age 15; 90 percent of youths who worked while age 15 continued to work while age 16; and 91 percent who worked while age 16 continued to work while age 17. (See tables 4, 5, and 6.) Only one-third of youths who did not engage in work activities while age 14 worked while age 15. By comparison, 58 percent of youths who did not work at age 15 engaged in work activities while age 16, and 57 percent of youths who did not work at age 16 worked while age 17. Freelance jobs often act as a stepping stone into the formal labor market. Among youths who worked exclusively at freelance jobs while age 14, 58 percent of them worked exclusively at freelance jobs while age 15, 9 percent worked exclusively at employee jobs, and 18 percent worked at both freelance and employee jobs. As youths move from age 15 to age 16, they become more likely to work at employee jobs. Among youths who worked exclusively at freelance jobs while age 15, only 29 percent worked exclusively at freelance jobs while age 16; 36 percent went on to work at both freelance and employee jobs; and 22 percent worked exclusively at employee jobs. As youths who did not work at an early age grow older, the pathway to employment is less likely to include a freelance job. Two-thirds of youths who were not employed while age 14 did not work while age 15, but those who did enter the labor market when they reached age 15 were twice as likely to work exclusively at employee jobs than at freelance jobs or to combine freelance work with employee jobs. Among youths who did not work while age 15 or 16, nearly half entered the labor market directly into employee jobs when they reached the following age. _____________________________ A Portable Document Format (PDF) version of this news release is available online at http://www.bls.gov/nls/. Technical Note The estimates in this release were obtained using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97). The NLSY97 is the newest survey in the National Longitudinal Surveys program. 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 is 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, and the National Insti- tute of Child Health and Human Development of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Sample The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 is a nationally representative sample of 8,984 young men and women who were ages 12 to 16 on December 31, 1996. This sample is composed of two subsamples: a cross- sectional sample designed to represent the noninstitutionalized, civilian segment of young people living in the U.S. in 1997 and born between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 1984; and a supplemental sample of youths designed to oversample Hispanic and black youths living in the U.S. in 1997 and born between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 1984. The third round of annual interviews took place between November 1, 1999, and May 1, 2000, and all results are weighted using the third-round survey weights that correct for oversampling and nonresponse. When weighted, the data represent all Americans living in the U.S. in 1997 and born in the years 1980 to 1984. Sample size varies both between and within tables. For example, in table 2, to be included in the section "While age 15," which refers to the entire year between an individual's 15th and 16th birthdays, a youth need only to have reached his or her 16th birthday. To be included in the similar category in table 5, which relates employment status while age 15 with employment status while age 16, a youth must have reached his or her 17th birthday. 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. For example, tables 4, 5, and 6 report employment by age, contingent on the previous age's employment. The youngest respondents in the sample (birth year 1984) were these ages during 1999-2000, whereas the oldest respondents (birth year 1980) were these ages from 1995-98. - 2 - Definitions Freelance job. A freelance job involves doing one or a few tasks without a specific "boss," like babysitting or mowing lawns, or working for oneself. Employee job. An employee job is one in which the youth has an ongoing relationship with a particular employer, such as working in a supermarket or restaurant. The respondent is read the following introduction prior to survey questions about freelance and employee jobs: "We are going to discuss two sorts of jobs with you. We'll call one type working as a freelancer or being self-employed: that is, working one or a few tasks for several people and not having a 'boss' (for example, babysitting or mowing lawns) or working for yourself (for example, running a business)." "We'll refer to the second type as working as an employee: that is, you had an ongoing relationship with a particular employer (for example, working in a supermarket or restaurant, or being in the military)." Age categories. The term "while age x" refers to the entire year between birthday "x" and the following birthday. The estimates shown in this release for each age category exclude respondents who had not yet reached their next birthday at the time of the interview--and thus were not able to provide the full year's worth of information for that age. For example, "While age 15" refers to the entire year between an individual's 15th and 16th birthdays. The category excludes individuals who had not yet turned age 16 at the time of the interview. 1998-99 school year and following summer. The school term is defined as the period from September 1998 through May 1999. The summer is composed of June, July, and August of 1999. Enrolled. Individuals were not considered enrolled if they received a high school diploma before April 1999 or if they were not enrolled for a period of two or more consecutive months during the school year. Race and Hispanic origin. In this release, the findings are reported for non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and Hispanics. These 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 are published for whites, blacks, and Hispanics, but these groups usually 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 estimates for 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. Percent of enrolled youths with an employee job during the 1998-99 school year and the following summer by age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, grade in school, and timing of employment Percent of Percent who worked during the school year Percent who students who worked during Age as of September 1, 1998, ever worked Worked during Worked during summer only and characteristic Total school year school year and summer only Total, age 15........... 59.4 44.1 38.5 5.6 15.3 Male youths.................. 61.7 47.1 41.5 5.6 14.6 Female youths................ 57.0 41.0 35.3 5.6 16.1 White non-Hispanic........... 67.4 50.9 45.2 5.7 16.5 Black non-Hispanic........... 45.0 28.2 22.3 6.0 16.8 Hispanic origin ............. 45.4 35.8 29.3 6.5 9.7 Grade 9...................... 46.5 33.8 25.8 8.0 12.6 Grade 10..................... 64.7 47.8 43.0 4.8 17.0 Total, age 16........... 77.4 67.0 58.2 8.8 10.4 Male youths.................. 78.5 67.0 59.8 7.3 11.5 Female youths................ 76.2 67.0 56.4 10.6 9.3 White non-Hispanic........... 82.5 73.1 64.8 8.3 9.4 Black non-Hispanic........... 66.1 52.7 44.0 8.8 13.3 Hispanic origin ............. 67.6 57.9 45.7 12.2 9.7 Grade 10..................... 72.5 58.7 50.0 8.7 13.8 Grade 11..................... 80.3 71.0 63.4 7.6 9.2 Total, age 17........... 86.6 77.7 67.4 10.3 8.9 Male youths.................. 88.4 78.3 67.8 10.5 10.2 Female youths................ 84.7 77.1 67.1 10.0 7.6 White non-Hispanic........... 90.1 82.6 74.0 8.6 7.5 Black non-Hispanic........... 79.3 66.1 52.3 13.9 13.2 Hispanic origin ............. 77.4 69.2 57.2 12.0 8.2 Grade 11..................... 81.3 71.9 63.0 8.9 9.4 Grade 12..................... 89.2 78.7 69.8 8.9 10.5 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. The school year is defined as September 1998 through May 1999, excluding the last full week of December 1998 and the first week of January 1999. Summer is defined as June, July, and August of 1999. Table 2. Percent of youths employed while ages 15 to 17 in 1995-2000 by age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, and type of job Percent employed in: Both Age in 1995-2000 Any Any Any Employee Freelance employee and characteristic job employee freelance jobs jobs and job job only only freelance jobs Total, while age 15 .... 64.0 38.8 39.0 25.0 25.2 13.9 Male youths................... 62.4 42.6 31.8 30.6 19.7 12.0 Female youths................. 65.7 34.9 46.6 19.1 30.8 15.8 White non-Hispanic............ 71.8 44.6 44.5 27.3 27.2 17.3 Black non-Hispanic............ 46.0 26.7 26.4 19.6 19.3 7.1 Hispanic origin .............. 49.4 27.6 29.0 20.3 21.7 7.3 Total, while age 16 ..... 78.4 68.1 29.2 49.2 10.4 18.9 Male youths.................... 78.2 69.4 23.1 55.1 8.8 14.3 Female youths.................. 78.7 66.7 35.8 42.9 12.1 23.7 White non-Hispanic............. 85.0 74.5 33.2 51.8 10.5 22.7 Black non-Hispanic............. 62.7 53.3 19.7 43.0 9.4 10.3 Hispanic origin ............... 67.1 57.5 21.5 45.6 9.6 11.9 Total, while age 17 ..... 83.0 77.7 17.6 65.4 5.4 12.3 Male youths.................... 81.9 78.1 13.3 68.6 3.8 9.6 Female youths.................. 84.2 77.2 22.1 62.1 7.0 15.1 White non-Hispanic............. 88.8 83.0 20.0 68.7 5.8 14.3 Black non-Hispanic............. 68.2 63.3 13.0 55.2 4.9 8.1 Hispanic origin ............... 74.1 71.2 10.5 63.6 3.0 7.5 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. Table 3. Percent of youths ages 15 to 17 in 1995-2000 with an employee job and average number of weeks worked, by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin Percent with Average Age in 1995-2000 an employee number of and characteristic job weeks worked Total, while age 15 ...... 38.8 24.3 Male youths..................... 42.6 25.1 Female youths................... 34.9 23.3 White non-Hispanic.............. 44.6 25.5 Black non-Hispanic.............. 26.7 19.1 Hispanic origin ................ 27.6 21.2 Total, while age 16 ...... 68.1 28.7 Male youths..................... 69.4 28.8 Female youths................... 66.7 28.7 White non-Hispanic.............. 74.5 30.0 Black non-Hispanic.............. 53.3 24.5 Hispanic origin ................ 57.5 26.1 Total, while age 17 ....... 77.7 33.6 Male youths..................... 78.1 32.7 Female youths................... 77.2 34.6 White non-Hispanic.............. 83.0 35.3 Black non-Hispanic.............. 63.3 28.4 Hispanic origin ................ 71.2 30.4 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. Table 4. Employment status of youths while age 15 in 1994-2000 by their employment status at age 14 (Percent) Worked while age 15 Both Employment status while age 14 Total Employee Freelance employee Did not jobs jobs and work while only only freelance age 15 jobs Total Worked ................................ 85.3 26.8 36.3 22.2 14.7 Employee jobs only ................ 82.6 73.0 3.1 6.5 17.4 Freelance jobs only..... .......... 84.5 8.7 57.7 18.1 15.5 Both employee and freelance jobs... 91.5 21.4 13.5 56.6 8.5 Did not work .......................... 33.7 22.1 9.5 2.1 66.3 Male youths Worked ................................ 85.0 35.7 29.3 20.0 15.0 Employee jobs only ................ 84.9 76.1 2.7 6.1 15.1 Freelance jobs only ............... 83.0 11.2 55.1 16.7 17.0 Both employee and freelance jobs... 89.7 25.4 12.8 51.5 10.3 Did not work .......................... 33.1 23.7 7.6 1.8 66.9 Female youths Worked ................................ 85.6 18.2 43.1 24.4 14.4 Employee jobs only ................ 77.9 66.7 3.9 7.3 22.1 Freelance jobs only..... .......... 85.5 7.0 59.5 19.1 14.5 Both employee and freelance jobs... 93.5 16.7 14.3 62.4 6.5 Did not work .......................... 34.5 20.3 11.6 2.5 65.6 NOTE: The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 consists of young men and women who were ages 12 to 16 on December 31, 1996. Table 5. Employment status of youths while age 16 in 1994-2000 by their employment status at age 15 (Percent) Worked while age 16 Both Employment status while age 15 Total Employee Freelance employee Did not jobs jobs and work while only only freelance age 16 jobs Total Worked ................................ 89.9 49.4 13.5 27.0 10.1 Employee jobs only ................ 89.9 84.1 1.5 4.3 10.1 Freelance jobs only..... .......... 87.0 21.5 29.4 36.2 13.0 Both employee and freelance jobs... 95.0 38.8 5.7 50.5 5.0 Did not work .......................... 57.5 48.5 4.9 4.1 42.5 Male youths Worked ................................ 89.2 57.5 11.5 20.2 10.8 Employee jobs only ................ 90.3 85.4 1.4 3.6 9.7 Freelance jobs only ............... 85.1 26.6 30.2 28.3 14.9 Both employee and freelance jobs... 93.2 40.0 5.9 47.4 6.8 Did not work .......................... 58.7 50.7 4.1 3.8 41.3 Female youths Worked ................................ 90.5 41.1 15.4 34.0 9.5 Employee jobs only ................ 89.1 81.9 1.6 5.6 10.9 Freelance jobs only..... .......... 88.4 17.8 28.8 41.7 11.6 Both employee and freelance jobs... 96.5 37.8 5.5 53.1 3.5 Did not work .......................... 56.1 46.0 5.7 4.5 43.9 NOTE: The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 consists of young men and women who were ages 12 to 16 on December 31, 1996. Table 6. Employment status of youths while age 17 in 1994-2000 by their employment status at age 16 (Percent) Worked while age 17 Both Employment status while age 16 Total Employee Freelance employee Did not jobs jobs and work while only only freelance age 17 jobs Total Worked ................................ 90.7 70.2 5.8 14.6 9.3 Employee jobs only ................ 91.3 88.0 .5 2.9 8.6 Freelance jobs only..... .......... 78.1 25.9 30.7 21.5 21.9 Both employee and freelance jobs... 96.3 49.9 5.3 41.2 3.7 Did not work .......................... 56.7 49.2 4.0 3.5 43.3 Male youths Worked ................................ 89.1 73.4 4.1 11.6 10.9 Employee jobs only ................ 90.6 86.7 .4 3.4 9.4 Freelance jobs only ............... 71.3 26.1 23.3 22.0 28.7 Both employee and freelance jobs... 95.1 53.0 5.7 36.5 4.9 Did not work .......................... 56.9 52.6 2.1 2.2 43.1 Female youths Worked ................................ 91.7 66.9 7.7 17.1 7.7 Employee jobs only ................ 92.4 89.6 .5 2.3 7.6 Freelance jobs only..... .......... 83.3 25.8 36.3 21.2 16.7 Both employee and freelance jobs... 97.1 47.8 5.0 44.3 2.9 Did not work .......................... 56.5 45.5 6.1 4.9 43.6 NOTE: The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 consists of young men and women who were ages 12 to 16 on December 31, 1996.