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Table 4. Percent of weeks individuals were employed, unemployed, or not in the labor force from age 18 through age 34 in 1998-2019 by age, educational attainment, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity Percent of total weeks Age and characteristic Not in labor Employed Unemployed force Total, ages 18 to 34 in 1998-2019 ............... 75.3 5.8 18.9 Ages 18 to 23 in 1998-2008 ..................... 69.8 6.1 24.0 Ages 24 to 29 in 2004-2014 ..................... 78.1 6.3 15.6 Ages 30 to 34 in 2019-2019 ..................... 78.6 4.8 16.6 Men, ages 18 to 34 in 1998-2019 ................. 78.7 6.4 15.0 Ages 18 to 23 in 1998-2008 ..................... 70.9 6.7 22.4 Ages 24 to 29 in 2004-2014 ..................... 82.0 7.0 11.0 Ages 30 to 34 in 2019-2019 ..................... 84.0 5.3 10.7 Women, ages 18 to 34 in 1998-2019 ............... 71.8 5.1 23.0 Ages 18 to 23 in 1998-2008 ..................... 68.7 5.5 25.8 Ages 24 to 29 in 2004-2014 ..................... 74.1 5.6 20.3 Ages 30 to 34 in 2019-2019 ..................... 72.9 4.4 22.7 White, non-Hispanic, ages 18 to 34 in 1998-2019 . 77.6 4.7 17.7 Ages 18 to 23 in 1998-2008 ..................... 73.0 4.9 22.1 Ages 24 to 29 in 2004-2014 ..................... 80.2 5.2 14.6 Ages 30 to 34 in 2019-2019 .................... 79.9 3.9 16.2 Black, non-Hispanic, ages 18 to 34 in 1998-2019 . 66.9 10.2 22.9 Ages 18 to 23 in 1998-2008 ..................... 58.7 10.9 30.4 Ages 24 to 29 in 2004-2014 ..................... 69.8 11.0 19.2 Ages 30 to 34 in 2019-2019 ..................... 73.2 8.7 18.1 Hispanic or Latino, ages 18 to 34 in 1998-2019 .. 74.5 6.0 19.5 Ages 18 to 23 in 1998-2008 ..................... 69.1 6.7 24.2 Ages 24 to 29 in 2004-2014 ..................... 77.5 6.5 16.0 Ages 30 to 34 in 2019-2019 ..................... 77.6 4.8 17.6 NOTE: This table excludes individuals who had not yet turned age 35 when interviewed in 2019-20. 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.