Table 3. Percent of weeks individuals were employed, unemployed, or not in the labor force from ages 18 to 56 in 1978-2020 by educational attainment, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Table 3. Percent of weeks individuals were employed, unemployed, or not in the labor
force from ages 18 through 56 in 1978-2020 by educational attainment, sex, race, and  
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity                                                        
                                                                                    
                                                   Percent of total weeks while     
                                                    ages 18 to 56 in 1978-2020
            Characteristic                                                          
                                                                            Not in  
                                               Employed    Unemployed   labor force 
                                                                                    
Total, ages 18 to 56 in 1978-2020...........     77.8	       4.4	     17.8
  Less than a high school diploma ..........     58.8	       7.1	     34.1
  High school graduates, no college (1).....     75.6	       5.5	     19.0
  Some college or associate degree .........     78.9	       4.1	     17.1
  Bachelor's degree and higher (2) .........     84.8	       2.3	     12.9

Men ........................................     83.4	       4.8	     11.8
  Less than a high school diploma ..........     68.1	       8.1	     23.8
  High school graduates, no college (1).....     81.5	       6.0	     12.5
  Some college or associate degree .........     85.9	       4.1	     10.0
  Bachelor's degree and higher (2) .........     89.0	       2.4	      8.6
 	 	 	 
Women ......................................     72.0	       3.9	     24.1
  Less than a high school diploma ..........     45.6	       5.7	     48.7
  High school graduates, no college (1).....     68.3	       4.9	     26.8
  Some college or associate degree .........     73.4	       4.1	     22.6
  Bachelor's degree and higher (2) .........     80.7	       2.2	     17.1

White non-Hispanic .........................     79.8	       3.7	     16.5
  Less than a high school diploma ..........     62.7	       6.1	     31.2
  High school graduates, no college (1).....     78.1	       4.7	     17.2
  Some college or associate degree .........     79.9	       3.5	     16.6
  Bachelor's degree and higher (2) .........     85.0	       2.0	     12.9

Black non-Hispanic .........................     68.8	       7.8	     23.5
  Less than a high school diploma ..........     46.2	      10.7	     43.2
  High school graduates, no college (1).....     63.9	       9.2	     26.9
  Some college or associate degree .........     74.5	       6.4	     19.1
  Bachelor's degree and higher (2) .........     82.6	       4.9	     12.6

Hispanic  or Latino ........................     72.9	       5.3	     21.8
  Less than a high school diploma ..........     55.7	       7.4	     36.9
  High school graduates, no college (1).....     72.9	       5.8	     21.4
  Some college or associate degree .........     79.0	       4.3	     16.7
  Bachelor's degree and higher (2) .........     84.0	       2.7	     13.3
                                                                                                                                                        
   (1)  Includes individuals with a high school diploma or equivalent.
   (2)  Includes individuals with bachelor's, master's, professional, or doctoral degrees.
Note: This table excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978, and who had not yet turned age 57 
when interviewed in 2020-21.
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 55 to 64 in 2020-21. Educational 
attainment is defined as of the 2020-21 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.