February 06, 2003 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Most 16- to 18-year-old students work in school year and summer

The majority of students aged 16 to 18 worked during the 1999-2000 school year at some point and during the following summer. Also, the percent of students who worked during both periods was higher at each subsequent age.

[Chart data—TXT]

About 60 percent of students who were age 16 at the beginning of the 1999-2000 school year worked at an employee job both during the school year and during the following summer. Among those age 17, about 68 percent of students worked an employee job both during school and in the summer, while among those age 18, the figure was 77 percent. 

These data are from the National Longitudinal Survey. The survey respondents were ages 12 to 17 when first interviewed in 1997 and ages 15 to 21 when interviewed for a fourth time in 2000-01. Students with "employee" jobs have a formal relationship with a particular employer, such as a restaurant or supermarket. For more information,  see news release USDL 03-40, "Employment Experience Of Youths During The School Year and Summer."

Related Articles:

• Common occupations for 16-year-olds: cashiers and cooks
• More school, less labor