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Employment–population ratio 22.5 percent for high school students, 44.3 percent for college students
August 19, 2024
In October 2023, the proportion of the population that was employed (the employment–population ratio), was 51.7 percent for people 16 to 24 years of age. The employment–population ratio has been as high as 59.8 percent (in October 2000) and as low as 45.0 percent (in October 2009) for this age group.
Employment–population ratio (in percent), persons age 16–24, by school enrollment status, October, 1993–2023
Year
Total, age 16–24
Enrolled in high school
Enrolled in college
Enrolled in 2-year college
Enrolled in 4-year college
Full-time college students
Part-time college students
Not enrolled in school
1993
56.6
30.5
52.9
65.3
47.9
46.4
84.8
71.7
1994
58.1
35.1
55.4
65.8
51.6
48.6
86.3
71.5
1995
56.6
33.2
53.3
61.6
50.4
47.2
82.9
70.6
1996
57.4
35.0
54.7
65.5
50.8
49.2
84.8
71.4
1997
57.1
33.5
53.5
63.5
49.8
47.8
84.4
73.2
1998
58.5
34.3
55.6
65.5
51.7
50.2
84.1
74.2
1999
58.7
35.5
55.3
65.6
51.7
50.4
82.3
73.8
2000
59.8
33.8
57.5
67.7
53.7
52.0
84.9
75.2
2001
56.8
31.8
53.3
65.3
48.8
47.0
84.3
72.8
2002
55.2
29.7
52.6
62.4
48.9
47.8
78.9
71.5
2003
53.6
26.3
52.7
61.9
49.4
47.7
79.0
70.6
2004
54.4
26.6
53.6
62.3
50.8
49.0
81.5
70.8
2005
54.5
25.8
54.3
61.6
51.9
49.1
85.0
72.6
2006
54.4
26.7
51.7
60.5
48.7
46.5
81.0
72.6
2007
53.2
24.9
50.8
60.5
47.0
45.5
81.2
71.5
2008
50.6
21.7
49.8
57.8
46.3
45.3
79.4
68.5
2009
45.0
16.4
45.1
50.4
43.0
40.6
76.2
62.5
2010
45.7
15.7
44.7
49.1
42.7
39.8
73.4
64.5
2011
46.8
16.5
46.3
52.7
43.7
41.3
75.1
65.7
2012
46.8
17.4
45.6
48.3
44.3
41.0
71.7
66.2
2013
46.9
16.6
45.1
49.9
43.1
39.5
75.7
65.2
2014
49.0
18.2
46.3
53.3
43.8
41.3
80.3
68.1
2015
49.2
18.2
44.5
52.6
41.5
39.5
75.3
70.7
2016
49.1
17.3
44.9
53.9
41.9
39.7
79.2
70.8
2017
50.7
19.5
46.7
56.0
43.6
41.1
82.2
72.2
2018
50.4
20.3
45.0
52.0
42.7
39.7
79.6
71.9
2019
52.2
19.8
48.0
56.3
45.2
42.2
85.5
74.2
2020
48.7
19.9
41.3
49.0
39.1
37.2
72.2
70.2
2021
51.4
21.3
45.1
54.9
42.3
40.3
79.7
72.4
2022
51.5
23.2
44.0
51.8
41.8
40.0
77.4
73.1
2023
51.7
22.5
44.3
54.8
41.4
39.6
77.7
72.1
The employment–population ratio of high school students was 22.5 percent in October 2023. College students were roughly twice as likely to be employed, with an employment–population ratio of 44.3 percent. The ratio for full-time college students was 39.6 percent, while the ratio for part-time college students was 77.7 percent. (These data for October all pertain to people 16–24 years of age.)
In the 1990s, the employment–population ratio for high school students was above 30.0 percent, while the ratio for college students was above 50.0 percent. However, the ratio trended down in the 2000s for both high school students and college students. By October 2010, the employment–population ratio for high school students decreased to 15.7 percent, and the ratio for college students fell to 44.7 percent. Since 2010, the ratio has trended up for high school students, reaching 22.5 percent in October 2023. For college students, the employment–population ratio has shown little change since 2010.
United States Department of Labor
