April 23, 2001 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Most of last year's high school graduates in labor force

About three-fifths of year 2000 high school graduates were in the labor force in October of 2000.

[Chart data—TXT]

Among the members of the year 2000 high school graduating class who enrolled in college the following fall, two-thirds were attending 4-year institutions. Of these students, nearly 40 percent also participated in the labor force by either working or actively looking for employment. In contrast, nearly 65 percent of recent high school graduates enrolled in 2-year institutions were in the labor force.

Four out of every five recent high school graduates not enrolled in college were in the labor force in October 2000. The unemployment rate for this group was 13.1 percent, down from 17.5 percent in October 1999.

This information is from a supplement to the October 2000 Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly nationwide survey of about 50,000 households that provides basic data on national employment and unemployment. Additional information is available from "College Enrollment and Work Activity of 2000 High School Graduates," news release USDL 01-94.

 

Related T.E.D article:

College enrollment of last year's high school graduates