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Digest of Education Statistics
2006 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Issue of the Digest


Table 382. Labor force status of high school dropouts, by sex and race/ethnicity: Selected years, 1980 through 2005 
Year, sex, and race or ethnicity Dropouts Dropouts in civilian labor force1  Dropouts not in labor force
Number
(in thousands)
Percent of total Number
(in thousands)
Labor force participation rate Unemployed Number
(in thousands)
Percent
of population
Number
(in thousands)
Unemployment
rate
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
All dropouts2                                
1980 739 (44.1) 100.0 (†) 471 (35.2) 63.7 (2.87) 149 (19.9) 31.6 (3.50) 268 (26.6) 36.3 (2.87)
1985 612 (42.4) 100.0 (†) 413 (34.8) 67.5 (3.25) 147 (20.9) 35.6 (4.06) 199 (24.2) 32.5 (3.25)
1990 405 (35.7) 100.0 (†) 280 (29.7) 69.0 (4.08) 90 (16.9) 32.3 (4.99) 125 (19.9) 31.0 (4.08)
1995 604 (43.6) 100.0 (†) 409 (35.9) 67.7 (3.38) 121 (19.6) 29.6 (4.03) 195 (24.8) 32.3 (3.38)
2000 515 (28.5) 100.0 (†) 350 (23.5) 68.0 (2.59) 99 (17.2) 28.1 (4.16) 165 (16.2) 32.0 (2.59)
2001 506 (28.3) 100.0 (†) 324 (22.7) 64.0 (2.69) 116 (18.7) 35.9 (4.62) 182 (17.0) 36.0 (2.69)
2002 401 (25.2) 100.0 (†) 271 (20.7) 67.7 (2.94) 81 (15.6) 29.8 (4.82) 129 (14.3) 32.3 (2.94)
2003 457 (26.9) 100.0 (†) 271 (20.7) 59.3 (2.89) 84 (15.9) 30.8 (4.86) 186 (17.2) 40.7 (2.89)
2004 496 (39.0) 100.0 (†) 267 (28.6) 53.7 (3.92) 106 (18.1) 39.9 (5.27) 229 (20.5) 46.3 (3.03)
2005 407 (35.3) 100.0 (†) 233 (26.7) 57.2 (4.30) 77 (15.4) 32.9 (5.42) 174 (17.9) 42.8 (3.32)
                                 
Male                                
1980 422 (32.8) 57.1 (2.91) 305 (27.9) 72.3 (3.48) 93 (15.4) 30.5 (4.21) 117 (17.3) 27.7 (3.48)
1985 321 (30.2) 52.5 (3.41) 261 (27.2) 81.3 (3.67) 98 (16.7) 37.5 (5.06) 60 (13.1) 18.7 (3.67)
1990 215 (25.6) 53.1 (4.34) 173 (23.0) 80.2 (4.76) 63 (13.9) 36.2 (6.39) 42 (11.3) 19.8 (4.76)
1995 339 (32.1) 56.1 (3.53) 251 (27.7) 74.0 (4.17) 72 (14.8) 28.7 (4.99) 88 (16.4) 26.0 (4.17)
2000 295 (29.3) 57.3 (3.73) 220 (25.3) 74.4 (4.35) 54 (12.6) 24.5 (4.96) 76 (14.9) 25.6 (4.35)
2001 298 (29.5) 58.9 (3.74) 198 (24.0) 66.5 (4.68) 68 (14.1) 34.2 (5.77) 100 (17.1) 33.5 (4.68)
2002 214 (25.0) 53.4 (4.26) 149 (20.9) 69.5 (5.38) 35 (10.1) 23.4 (5.93) 65 (13.8) 30.5 (5.38)
2003 242 (26.6) 53.0 (3.99) 159 (21.6) 65.6 (5.22) 53 (12.5) 33.2 (6.39) 83 (15.6) 34.4 (5.22)
2004 278 (28.7) 56.0 (3.84) 166 (22.2) 59.9 (5.07) 67 (14.1) 40.4 (6.56) 112 (18.2) 40.1 (5.07)
2005 227 (25.9) 55.8 (4.24) 136 (20.1) 59.7 (5.61) 49 (12.1) 35.9 (7.09) 91 (16.4) 40.3 (5.61)
                                 
Female                                
1980 317 (27.5) 42.9 (2.82) 166 (19.9) 52.4 (4.34) 56 (11.6) 33.7 (5.68) 151 (19.0) 47.6 (4.34)
1985 291 (27.8) 47.5 (3.30) 152 (20.1) 52.2 (4.79) 49 (11.4) 32.2 (6.20) 139 (19.3) 47.8 (4.79)
1990 190 (23.3) 46.9 (4.20) 107 (17.5) 56.3 (6.09) 28 (9.0) 26.1 (7.18) 83 (15.4) 43.7 (6.09)
1995 265 (27.5) 43.9 (3.42) 157 (21.2) 59.5 (5.10) 49 (11.8) 30.9 (6.24) 107 (17.5) 40.5 (5.10)
2000 220 (24.3) 42.7 (3.58) 131 (18.8) 59.4 (5.43) 45 (11.0) 34.2 (6.80) 90 (15.6) 40.6 (5.43)
2001 207 (23.6) 40.9 (3.59) 126 (18.4) 60.6 (5.57) 48 (11.4) 38.6 (7.12) 82 (14.9) 39.4 (5.57)
2002 187 (22.4) 46.6 (4.09) 122 (18.1) 65.6 (5.70) 46 (11.1) 37.6 (7.20) 64 (13.1) 34.4 (5.70)
2003 215 (24.0) 47.0 (3.83) 112 (17.4) 52.1 (5.59) 31 (9.1) 27.6 (6.93) 103 (16.6) 47.9 (5.59)
2004 218 (24.6) 44.0 (3.72) 100 (16.7) 45.9 (5.63) 39 (10.4) 38.9 (8.13) 118 (18.1) 54.1 (5.63)
2005 180 (22.4) 44.2 (4.11) 97 (16.4) 54.0 (6.20) 28 (8.8) 28.8 (7.67) 83 (15.2) 46.0 (6.20)
                                 
White3                                
1980 580 (39.1) 78.5 (2.46) 392 (32.1) 67.6 (3.16) 106 (16.8) 27.0 (3.66) 188 (22.3) 32.4 (3.16)
1985 458 (36.7) 74.8 (3.01) 330 (31.1) 72.1 (3.60) 116 (18.6) 35.2 (4.53) 128 (19.4) 27.9 (3.60)
1990 303 (30.9) 74.8 (3.83) 211 (25.8) 69.8 (4.69) 56 (13.4) 26.3 (5.42) 92 (17.0) 30.2 (4.69)
1995 448 (37.6) 74.2 (3.17) 312 (31.4) 69.8 (3.85) 85 (16.5) 27.2 (4.50) 135 (20.6) 30.2 (3.85)
2000 384 (24.7) 74.6 (2.42) 280 (21.1) 73.0 (2.85) 70 (14.5) 24.9 (4.48) 104 (12.8) 27.0 (2.85)
2001 401 (25.2) 79.2 (2.27) 273 (20.8) 68.1 (2.93) 89 (16.3) 32.4 (4.91) 128 (14.2) 31.9 (2.93)
2002 281 (21.1) 70.1 (2.88) 188 (17.3) 67.0 (3.53) 48 (12.0) 25.6 (5.52) 93 (12.1) 33.0 (3.53)
2003 336 (23.1) 73.5 (2.60) 215 (18.5) 64.0 (3.30) 58 (13.2) 27.1 (5.25) 121 (13.8) 36.0 (3.30)
2004 370 (33.7) 74.6 (3.42) 196 (24.5) 53.0 (4.54) 56 (13.2) 28.8 (5.69) 174 (17.9) 47.0 (3.51)
2005 273 (28.9) 67.1 (4.08) 166 (22.6) 61.1 (5.17) 52 (12.7) 31.4 (6.34) 106 (13.9) 38.9 (3.99)
                                 
Black3                                
1980 146 (20.7) 19.8 (2.52) 73 (14.7) 50.0 (7.13) 40 (10.9) (†) 73 (14.7) 50.0 (7.13)
1985 132 (20.9) 21.6 (3.03) 69 (15.1) 52.3 (7.92) 30 (10.0) (†) 63 (14.4) 47.7 (7.92)
1990 86 (17.5) 21.2 (3.83) 56 (14.1) 65.3 (9.68) 30 (10.3) (†) 30 (10.3) 34.7 (9.68)
1995 109 (19.6) 18.0 (2.95) 66 (15.3) 61.0 (8.82) 27 (9.8) (†) 42 (12.2) 39.0 (8.82)
2000 111 (19.1) 21.5 (3.28) 58 (13.8) 51.9 (8.61) 27 (9.4) (†) 53 (13.2) 48.1 (8.61)
2001 85 (16.7) 16.8 (3.02) 42 (11.8) 49.9 (9.85) 21 (8.3) (†) 43 (11.9) 50.1 (9.85)
2002 79 (16.1) 19.7 (3.61) 55 (13.4) 69.8 (9.38) 27 (9.4) (†) 24 (8.9) 30.2 (9.38)
2003 88 (17.0) 19.3 (3.35) 42 (11.8) 47.8 (9.67) 19 (7.9) (†) 46 (12.3) 52.2 (9.67)
2004 91 (17.7) 18.3 (3.23) 50 (13.1) 54.4 (9.70) 39 (11.6) (†) 42 (12.0) 45.6 (9.70)
2005 114 (19.8) 28.0 (4.14) 52 (13.4) 45.4 (8.67) 20 (8.3) (†) 62 (14.6) 54.6 (8.67)
                                 
Hispanic4                                
1980 91 (19.4) 12.3 (2.46) 60 (15.8) 65.9 (10.12) 17 (8.4) (†) 31 (11.3) 34.1 (10.12)
1985 106 (18.7) 17.3 (2.79) 73 (15.5) 68.9 (8.19) 33 (10.5) (†) 33 (10.5) 31.1 (8.19)
1990 67 (15.4) 16.5 (3.48) 32 (10.7) (†) 10 (6.0) (†) 35 (11.2) (†)
1995 174 (24.8) 28.8 (3.48) 119 (20.5) 68.6 (6.64) 35 (11.2) 29.3 (7.87) 55 (14.0) 31.4 (6.64)
2000 101 (18.2) 19.6 (3.18) 62 (14.3) 61.1 (8.81) 22 (8.5) (†) 39 (11.3) 38.9 (8.81)
2001 119 (19.7) 23.5 (3.42) 84 (16.6) 70.6 (7.58) 27 (9.4) 32.6 (9.29) 35 (10.7) 29.4 (7.58)
2002 94 (17.6) 23.4 (3.84) 62 (14.3) 66.5 (8.84) 23 (8.7) (†) 31 (10.1) 33.5 (8.84)
2003 124 (20.1) 27.1 (3.78) 68 (14.9) 54.5 (8.12) 17 (7.5) (†) 57 (13.7) 45.5 (8.12)
2004 154 (23.0) 31.0 (3.86) 87 (17.3) 56.8 (7.42) 27 (9.7) 30.7 (9.19) 67 (15.2) 43.2 (7.42)
2005 86 (17.2) 21.1 (3.76) 55 (13.8) 64.3 (9.61) 17 (7.7) (†) 31 (10.3) 35.7 (9.61)
†Not applicable.
‡ Reporting standards not met.
1 The labor force includes all employed persons plus those seeking employment. The labor force participation rate is the percentage of persons either employed or seeking employment. The unemployment rate is the percentage of persons in the labor force who are seeking employment. 2 Persons 16 to 24 years old who dropped out of school in the 12-month period ending in October of years shown.
3 Includes persons of Hispanic origin.
4 Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
NOTE: Data are based on sample surveys of the civilian noninstitutional population. Includes dropouts from any grade, including a small number from elementary and middle schools. Even though the standard errors are large, smaller estimates are shown to permit users to combine categories in various ways. Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups does not sum to totals because data for the other racial groups are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the White and Black population groups. Some data have been revised from previously published figures. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Standard errors appear in parentheses.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, College Enrollment and Work Activity of High School Graduates, selected years, 1980 through 2005, and unpublished tabulations. (This table was prepared September 2006.)

2006 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Issue of the Digest


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