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Students less likely to work in October 2015 than in the 1980s and 1990s
May 18, 2016
In October 2015, 57.0 percent of 16- to 24-year-olds, or 21.9 million young people, were enrolled in high school or college. Among these students, nearly a quarter of 16- to 19-year-olds and nearly half of 20- to 24-year-olds had a job in October. Both figures were about the same as in October 2014 but well below their peaks. Among students ages 16 to 19, 40.2 percent worked in October 1989, compared with 23.7 percent in October 2015. Among students ages 20 to 24, 61.6 percent worked in October 2000, compared with 47.8 percent in October 2015.
Employment–population ratios in October of young people by school enrollment status, 1970–2015
Year
Ages 16 to 19
Ages 20 to 24
Enrolled
Not enrolled
Enrolled
Not enrolled
1970
31.5%
58.3%
47.1%
67.6%
1971
31.5
58.0
46.2
68.0
1972
32.7
62.2
48.0
69.8
1973
35.7
64.5
49.6
73.0
1974
35.2
63.1
51.2
72.4
1975
33.8
58.8
47.2
68.8
1976
34.5
60.4
50.2
70.8
1977
36.8
63.9
50.8
73.3
1978
38.7
66.2
53.0
75.9
1979
37.8
65.1
52.4
75.3
1980
36.4
62.4
51.3
72.8
1981
34.4
59.9
52.0
72.6
1982
32.5
55.1
51.3
69.4
1983
32.3
57.0
50.8
71.5
1984
34.2
59.7
52.9
74.4
1985
34.7
58.8
55.3
75.1
1986
36.6
61.6
54.7
75.8
1987
37.5
60.8
56.6
76.8
1988
37.9
63.5
59.4
77.0
1989
40.2
63.0
57.2
76.0
1990
36.0
61.7
56.6
75.8
1991
35.7
54.7
56.4
73.0
1992
34.8
56.8
56.2
73.6
1993
34.4
59.0
57.4
74.7
1994
38.1
57.1
60.2
75.1
1995
37.0
58.4
57.0
74.1
1996
38.5
56.1
59.2
75.8
1997
36.2
59.9
59.3
77.1
1998
38.6
59.6
59.7
78.5
1999
39.3
61.6
58.9
77.5
2000
38.6
63.4
61.6
78.6
2001
35.5
60.5
57.5
76.4
2002
34.2
60.1
56.0
74.5
2003
30.9
56.6
57.1
74.1
2004
31.5
57.9
58.5
74.0
2005
31.4
58.3
58.2
75.7
2006
31.8
58.8
55.2
76.0
2007
30.1
58.3
55.3
74.8
2008
27.6
52.1
54.2
72.7
2009
22.7
43.3
49.5
67.2
2010
22.4
47.8
48.6
68.4
2011
22.8
48.5
51.3
69.5
2012
22.6
47.7
49.8
70.4
2013
22.2
47.9
49.4
69.4
2014
24.0
52.4
50.4
71.8
2015
23.7
55.0
47.8
74.4
Note: Data beginning in 1981, 1994, 2001, and 2012 are not strictly comparable with data for prior years because new population controls were introduced from the decennial census. Data beginning in 2006 reflect a change in survey weights and are not strictly comparable with estimates for earlier years.
Young people not enrolled in school were more likely than students to have a job. Among 16- to 19-year-olds, 55.0 percent of those not enrolled in school had a job in October 2015. Among 20- to 24-year-olds, 74.4 percent of those not enrolled in school had a job.
These data are from the Current Population Survey. For more information, see “College Enrollment and Work Activity of 2015 High School Graduates” (HTML) (PDF). The percentage of a population group that has a job is the employment–population ratio.
United States Department of Labor
