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Economic News Release
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Table 8. Percent of weeks individuals were employed, unemployed, or not in the labor force from age 18 through age 36 in 1998-2021 by partner status, educational attainment, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Table 8.  Percent of weeks individuals were employed, unemployed, or not in the labor force from age 18 through age 36 in 1998-2021 by
partner status, educational attainment, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity                                            
                                                                                                                       
                                                                   Percent total weeks while ages 18 to 34 in 1998-2021											
						
            Characteristic                                                                                              
                                                    Single                              Married                                  Cohabiting
	
                                                    Unem- 	Not in	        	  Unem-  	Not in                        Unem-   	Not in
                                         Employed  ployed  	labor	     Employed    ployed  	labor        Employed        ployed  	 labor
							     	force                            	force                      	 	 force
																										
Total, ages 18 to 34 in 1998-2021 .......  70.9	     7.8	21.3		79.0	    3.8		17.2		75.4		6.2	  18.3
 Less than a high school diploma ........  47.6	    11.7	40.7		60.9	    9.3		29.9		57.2		9.9	  32.9
 High school graduates, no college (1) ..  68.4	     9.3	22.3		76.7	    5.0		18.2		74.6		7.1	  18.3
 Some college or associate degree .......  79.0	     5.6	15.4		80.2	    3.7		16.1		79.7		4.9	  15.4
 Bachelor's degree and higher (2) .......  81.3	     4.0	14.7		82.8	    2.1		15.2		83.7		3.1	  13.2

Men .....................................  71.4	     8.4	20.2		84.9	    4.1		11.0		78.6		6.8	  14.6
 Less than a high school diploma ........  52.9	    12.6	34.5		75.7	    9.8		14.5		71.6	       12.0	  16.4
 High school graduates, no college (1) ..  69.9	     9.6	20.5		84.9        5.4		 9.7		77.6		7.4	  14.9
 Some college or associate degree .......  81.8	     5.4	12.8		87.7	    3.6		 8.7		83.8		4.6	  11.6
 Bachelor's degree and higher (2) .......  79.6	     4.2	16.2		85.5	    1.9		12.6		82.6		3.6	  13.7
												
Women ...................................  70.3	     7.2	22.6		73.3	    3.5		23.2		71.6		5.5	  22.8
 Less than a high school diploma ........  41.2	    10.6	48.2		39.6	    8.5		51.9		42.3		7.7	  50.0
 High school graduates, no college (1) ..  66.3	     8.9	24.8		66.9	    4.6		28.5		70.2		6.6	  23.2
 Some college or associate degree .......  76.3	     5.8	18.0		74.6	    3.9		21.6		76.4		5.2	  18.4
 Bachelor's degree and higher (2) .......  82.6	     3.8	13.5		80.6	    2.2		17.2		84.8		2.7	  12.6
												
White, non-Hispanic .....................  73.8	     6.3	19.8		80.0	    3.3		16.8		77.5		5.5	  16.9
 Less than a high school diploma ........  51.1	     9.8	39.1		65.0	    8.7		26.3		57.0		9.4	  33.7
 High school graduates, no college (1) ..  71.5	     7.8	20.7		77.5	    4.4		18.2		77.3		6.3	  16.4
 Some college or associate degree .......  79.0	     4.8	16.2		81.0        3.4		15.6		80.9		4.3	  14.8
 Bachelor's degree and higher (2) .......  82.2	     3.2	14.6		83.0	    1.9		15.1		84.4		2.9	  12.7	
							
Black, non-Hispanic .....................  64.2	    10.9	24.9		73.2	    8.0		18.8		68.0	  	10.6	  21.5
 Less than a high school diploma ........  37.6	    15.0	47.4		43.8	   13.0		43.2		53.4	  	19.4	  27.2
 High school graduates, no college (1) ..  62.8	    12.0	25.2		71.3	   10.0		18.7		65.6      	 0.9	  23.5
 Some college or associate degree .......  77.0	     7.8	15.2		75.1	    7.1		17.9		70.2	  	10.4	  19.3
 Bachelor's degree and higher (2) .......  79.7	     5.9	14.4		83.8	    3.3		12.9		83.0		 5.3	  11.7
												
Hispanic or Latino ......................  71.3	     8.0	20.7		77.8        4.1		18.1		74.0		6.0	  20.0
 Less than a high school diploma ........  58.8	    10.6	30.7		62.4	    8.0		29.6		62.1		7.0	  30.8
 High school graduates, no college (1) ..  70.0	     8.6	21.3		77.1	    4.4		18.5		74.7		6.4	  18.9
 Some college or associate degree .......  80.3	     5.0	14.7		79.9	    4.1		16.0		77.3		4.1	  18.7
 Bachelor's degree and higher (2) .......  78.8	     5.7	15.5		82.8	    2.3		14.9		84.0		3.8	  12.2
											
												
  (1) Includes individuals with a high school diploma or equivalent (General Education Development (GED)) credential.
  (2) Includes individuals with bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional degrees.
NOTE: This table excludes individuals who had not yet turned age 37 when interviewed in 2021-2022. 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. Educational attainment and partner status are determined during the month of the respondent's 37th birthday.



Last Modified Date: April 02, 2024