Office Of Refugee Resettlement: Policy Guidance & Reporting Forms

Annual ORR Reports to Congress - 2002

The Lost Boys of Sudan

Beginning in FY 1999, the U.S. refugee Resettlement Program welcomed a new group of refugees that was unique in many respects. The Lost Boys of Sudan (hereafter, referred to as the Lost Boys unless noted otherwise) began arriving in significant numbers after years of waiting in African refugee camps, primarily from the Kakuma camp in Kenya. As explained below, this group has endured significant hardships, including several long journeys across wild and unforgiving lands and growing up without adult leadership. To measure their adjustment to American life, ORR has drawn a separate random sample and will interview these Lost Boys annually for five years and report on their labor force participation and welfare utilization.

Brief History of Lost Boys

In 1983, civil war broke out between the northern Arabic-speaking government of Sudan and southern tribes seeking autonomy. Since then, nearly two million people have died and five million have been displaced. Among those displaced are at least 20,000 children, mostly boys, between 7 and 17 years of age who were separated from their families.

This extraordinary exodus has its origins in traditional forms of migration. After being initiated into manhood, young adolescent boys in southern Sudan have generally been quite mobile. Organized into small groups of their peers, they would leave home for a period to look after cattle. Some would head for the towns or cities to go to school or to seek their fortune before eventually returning home. In addition, at times of stress, families all over Africa have sent their children elsewhere to find safety, food, work, and schooling.

Since the war broke out, this process has escalated dramatically. Factions began to attack peaceful villages, kidnapping young males to use as front line troops in battle zones or to walk through minefields. Fearing they would be targeted as potential combatants, many boys left their villages for refugee camps in Ethiopia. Some traveled with friends or relatives, others slipped away on their own at night. Few had any idea of what lay ahead of them, believing that their journey would last only a few days. Continually under threat, they fled for their lives, losing their way in the wilderness. They lost everything en route to soldiers, swindlers, or bandits. Many fell victim to lethal diseases. Others were so weakened by hunger and lack of sleep that they could go no further and sat down by the roadside, prey for lions and other wild animals.

The survivors who reached refugee camps in Ethiopia began to lead relatively peaceful lives again. But this was not to last. Following the change of government in Ethiopia in May 1991, the Sudanese youths were forced to flee again. This time the journey occurred during heavy rains, and many perished crossing the swollen rivers or were hit by aerial bombardment. Hungry, frightened and weakened by sleeplessness and disease, they made their way to camps in Sudan, where they received help from the International Committee of the Red Cross. From there, they then traveled on foot to safety in northern Kenya. Since 1992, UNICEF has been able to reunite nearly 1,200 boys with their families. But thousands more have remained in the dusty, fly-ridden refugee camp at Kakuma, where they have had to scrape for food and struggle for education.

In 1999, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, working in collaboration with the Department of State, referred over 3,300 of these youth to the U.S. for resettlement processing. Once the U.S. agreed to admit this group, UNHCR undertook formal identity and background checks. The U.S. then began formally processing the group for resettlement in the fall 2001.

TABLE III-1 - Employment Status of the Lost Boys by Sex: 2002 Survey

	Employment Rate (EPR)			Labor Force Participation Rate			Unemployment Rate
Year of Arrival	All	Male	Female	All	Male	Female	All	Male	Female
Lost Boys	73.5%	74.5%	50.0%	88.2%	89.4%	66.7%	14.7%	14.9%	16.7%
U.S. Rates	66.6	69.7	56.3	67.8	74.8	61.3	5.8	5.9	5.6

Note: As of December 2002. Not seasonally adjusted. Data refers to Lost Boys 16 and over. U.S. rates are for 2002.

Geographic Location of Lost Boys

The Lost Boys refugees have been resettled in large numbers in eighteen States: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. For FY 2002, the majority of the Lost Boys initially resettled in Texas, followed by Massachusetts, California, Pennsylvania, and Washington.

Economic Adjustment of Lost Boys

Table III-1 presents the employment rate (EPR) in October 2002 for refugees 16 and over among the Lost Boys population. The survey found that the overall EPR for the Lost Boys who came to the U.S. in 2002 was 73.5 percent (74.5 percent for males and 50 percent for females). As a point of reference, the employment rate for the U.S. population was 66.6 percent in 2002 and the employment rate for the five-year refugee population was 60.8 percent. Economic conditions in the U.S. as a whole influence the ability of refugees to find employment. This population, however, seems to have adapted to the workforce quite well with an overall employment rate that is 10 percent higher than the U.S. average.

Table III-1 also contains data on the labor force participation rate for Lost Boys 16 and over. This rate is closely related to the employment rate, except it includes individuals looking for work as well as those currently employed. In October 2002, the overall labor force participation rate for the Lost Boys population was 88.2 percent (89.4 percent for males and 67.1 percent for females). This rate is substantially higher than that of the five-year refugee population, which was 67.1 percent (72.3 percent for males and 61.3 percent for females). Again, we see that a significant number of the Lost Boys were currently employed or are attempting to find employment.

As with the EPR, the labor force participation rate of refugees increases with time in the U.S. The labor force participation rate for all 2002 arrivals was 51.6 percent, for example, but reached 71.7 percent for refugees who arrived in 1998. As time passes, the Lost Boys population should also yield a greater presence in the workforce if the historical pattern is maintained.

Table III-2: Work Experience of Adult Lost Boys

	Number	Percent Distribution
Total Lost Boys age 16 and older (sample)	415	100.0
Worked	289	69.6
50-52 weeks	118	28.4
Full-time	187	64.8
Average weeks worked	33.7

Table III-2 shows that over 50 percent of the Lost Boys population were gainfully employed in the year 2002 and, of that total, 64.8 percent held full-time jobs. However, only 28.4 percent reported being employed for a full year. This result could be attributed to their actual arrival date. Many of the Lost Boys may not have been in the country for a full year. As the study progresses we will be able to better gauge how well they fair in the workforce.

For the U.S. population as a whole, the employment rate for women was 53.6 percent and 67.8 percent for men. For the Lost Boys group, the employment rate for women was 50.0 percent and 74.5 percent for men. This EPR is consistent with the EPR for the five-year refugee population where the employment rate for women is 55.2 percent and 65.6 percent for men in 2002. It is noteworthy that, although the EPR for women is substantially lower than for men, the percentage of women who have worked at any point since their arrival in the U.S. is higher for women than men (100 percent and 94.7 percent, respectively). The male group seems to have greater success with finding employment than the female group even though they report seeking employment at similar rates.

The survey also asked refugees age 16 and over who were not employed why they were not looking for employment. Limited English accounted for the largest proportion (88.9 percent), with an associated median age of 18. Attending school accounted for another (77.8 percent). Poor health accounted for the third largest proportion (22.2 percent). The Lost Boys population reported that their inability to speak English impaired their ability to find employment 60 percent more than the full five-year refugee population. However, the Lost Boys seem to recognize the importance of education and English language training in their acclimation to U.S. society, because 78 percent of the population cited attending school as a reason for not looking for employment.

Elapsed Time to First Job

How soon did the Lost Boys find work after coming to the U.S.? The 2002 survey indicates that of those who have worked at all since coming to the U.S. (about 95 percent of refugees 16 years old and over in that survey), about 10 percent found work within one month of arrival, an additional 41 percent after two to three months, 10 percent within four to six months, while another eight percent took seven to twelve months and three percent took more than a year (refer to Figure 2). Thus more than 60 percent found employment within six months of arrival, and more than a 50 percent of refugees reported finding first employment within three months of arrival in the current survey. The economic conditions within the U.S. do not appear to have slowed down the ability of the Lost Boys group to find employment.

TABLE III-3 - Employment Status of Selected Lost Boys by Sex: 2002 Refugee Survey

Employment Measure	Percent
Employment Rate (EPR)	73.5%
-Males	74.5
-Females	50.0
Worked at any point since arrival	95.1
-Males	94.7
-Females	100.0
Labor Force Participation Rate	88.2
-Males	89.4
-Females	66.7
Unemployment Rate	14.7
-Males	14.9
-Females	16.7

Note: As of December 2002. Not seasonally adjusted. Data refers to Lost Boys 16 and over.

Figure 1. Reason not Looking for Work for Lost Boys 16 years and over: 2002 Survey.

(Chart note: Limited to Lost Boys who did not work in previous year and are not looking for work at the time of the survey.)

*(Chart note: "Couldn't find job" represents survey value, "Believes no work available/couldn't find job')

Factors Affecting Employment

Achieving economic self-sufficiency is based on the employment prospects of adult refugees, which hinges on a mixture of refugee skills, family size and composition (e.g., number of dependents to support), job opportunities, and the resources available in the communities in which refugees resettle. The occupational and educational skills that refugees bring with them to the United States as well as occupational factors also influence their prospects for self-sufficiency.

The average number of years of education for the Lost Boys was approximately ten (refer to Table III-4). The 2002 survey revealed almost 15 percent of the Lost Boys population had no formal education prior to coming to the U.S., while 43 percent of the respondents indicated that they had a primary school education. Respondents with a high school education made up less than 30 percent of the Lost Boys population.

The migratory nature the Lost Boys group could account for the lack of education in this population. Beginning in 1997, many of the Lost Boys were driven from their homes seeking refuge from the ongoing war. Since being in the U.S. the Lost Boys attempted to improve their educational standing. The 2002 survey shows that 55.9 percent of the Lost Boys population are attending some type of school or university- high school, 26.5 percent; Associate degree program, 18.6 percent; and Bachelor's degree program, 6.9 percent. It is noteworthy that since arriving in the U.S., almost six percent of the Lost Boys population have earned a degree.

At the time of arrival in the U.S., just less than three percent of Lost Boys in the 2002 survey reported speaking no English (refer to Table III-4). This fraction, however, was halved by the time of the survey interview, when only one percent reported speaking no English. At the time of arrival, 45 percent of the Lost Boys reported not speaking English well while another 45 percent reported speaking English well or fluently. This latter finding could account for the high EPR for this population. By the time of the interview, only 9.8 percent of the Lost Boys reported still speaking little English while 78.4 percent report speaking English well or fluently.

The ability to speak English is one of the most important factors influencing the economic self-sufficiency of refugees (refer to Table III-5). There was little difference in employment rate due to speaking no English at the time of arrival (EPR, 67 percent) as compared to those not speaking English well (63 percent). On the other hand, there was a 22 point difference between those speaking English well or fluently at the time of arrival and those speaking no English at all. Historically, most refugees improve their English language proficiency over time and those who do not are the least likely to be employed.

During the year, 60.8 percent of all Lost Boys attended English Language Training (ELT) outside of high school (refer to Table III-6). For the same period, the proportion of refugees who attended job-training classes since arrival lagged far behind (only 19.6 percent, respectively). In the 2002 survey, 78.4 percent indicated they spoke English well or fluently at the time of the survey, while 10 percent indicated they did not speak English well and one percent indicated that they did not speak English at all.

Earnings and Utilization of Public Assistance

The earnings of employed refugees generally rise with length of residence in the U.S. (refer to Table III-7). For the Lost Boys the average hourly was was $8.42.[1] The overall hourly wage of the larger population of employed refugees in the five-year population (i.e., the non-Lost Boys sample) was $9.37 (up from $8.90, $8.83, $8.29, $7.97, and $7.38 reported in the 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, and 1997 surveys, respectively, not adjusting for inflation). The Lost Boys' hourly wage is comparable to that of the five-year refugee population.

Figure2: Elapsed Time to First Job for Lost Boys who have ever worked.

Table III-7 details the economic self-sufficiency of the Lost Boys population from the 2002 survey. According to the 2002 survey, 48.8 percent of Lost Boys households achieved economic self-sufficiency. An additional 32.6 percent had achieved partial independence, with household income a mix of employment earnings and public assistance. Another 4.8 percent of refugee households, however, report income consisting entirely of public assistance. The low rates of public assistance only cases coupled with an increase in earnings only cases may indicate that the Lost Boys find it easier to adjust to the U.S. work force than the refugee population as a whole. Hourly wages, home ownership, and self-sufficiency for the most recent five surveys are contained in Table III-7.

Eighty-eight percent of the Lost Boys sample are currently renting a home or apartment, while approximately nine percent have purchased a home since their arrival in the U.S. Keep in mind that these figures are self-reported and should be interpreted with caution.

Table III-8 details several household characteristics by type of income. Households receiving public assistance average five members and no wage earners, while those with a mix of earnings and public assistance income average approximately four members and two wage earners. Households that receive no public assistance average 2.7 members with two wage earners. There were significantly more children in the mixed earning households (21 percent) than in the public assistance only and earnings only households.

It is noteworthy that the "public assistance only" and "earnings only" categories reported no children in the households. This finding could be attributed to the fact that most of the Lost Boys population is under 20 years in age. Typically, a positive correlation is found between the number of households with children and the number of households utilizing public assistance only. English language proficiency was lowest in welfare dependent households. None of these households contained one or more persons fluent in English. In contrast, about 50 percent of households with a mix of earnings and assistance reported at least one fluent English speaker and 9.5 percent of households with earnings income only reported at least one fluent English speaker. Again, the relationship between English language proficiency and income is clear: Refugees are more likely to be self-sufficient when they are proficient in English.

TABLE III-4 - Education and English Proficiency Characteristics of Lost Boys

Education and Language Proficiency
Average Years of Education before U.S.	9.6
Highest Degree before U.S.
None	14.7%
Primary School	43.1
Training in Refugee Camp	4.9
Technical School	0.0
Secondary School (or High School)	26.5
University Degree (Other than Medical)	0.0
Medical Degree	0.0
Other	0.0
Attended School/University (since U.S.)	62.7
Attendance School/University (since U.S.) for degree/certificate	55.9
High School	26.5
Associates Degree	18.6
Bachelor’s Degree	6.9
Master’s/Doctorate	1.0
Professional Degree	0.0
Other	0.0
Degree Received	5.9
At Time of Arrival
Percent Speaking no English	2.9
Percent Not Speaking English Well	45.1
Percent Speaking English Well or Fluently	45.1
At Time of Survey
Percent Speaking no English	1.0
Percent Not Speaking English Well	9.8
Percent Speaking English Well or Fluently	78.4

Note: Data refer to Lost Boys 16 and over. These figures refer to self-reported characteristics of Lost Boys. Professional degree refers to a law degree or medical degree.

Table III-5 - English Proficiency and Associated EPR by Year of Arrival

Percent Speaking No English (EPR)	Percent Not Speaking English Well (EPR)	Percent Speaking English Well or Fluently (EPR)
At Time of Arrival
2.9 (66.7)	45.1 (63.0)	45.1 (84.8)
At Time of Survey
1.0 (0.0)	9.8 (70.0)	78.4 (75.0)

Note: As of December 2002 . Not seasonally adjusted . Data refers to Lost Boys 16 and over . These figures refer to self-reported characteristics of Lost Boys.

Table III-6 - Service Utilization by Lost Boys

Type of Service Utilization	Percent
ELT since arrival Inside High School	13.7%
ELT since arrival Outside of High School	60.8
Job training since arrival	19.6
Currently attending ELT Inside High School	13.7
Currently attending ELT Outside of High School	34.3

Note: Data refer to Lost Boys 16 and over. In order that English language training (ELT) not be confused with English high school instruction, statistics for both populations are given.

TABLE III-7 - Lost Boys' Hourly Wages, Home Ownership, and Self-Sufficiency: 2002 Survey

Hourly Wages of Employed -Current Job	Own Home/ Apartment	Rent Home/ Apartment	Public Assistance Only	Both Public Assistance and Earnings	Earnings Only
$8.42	9.3%	88.4%	4.7%	32.6%	48.8%

Note: Data refer to Lost Boys 16 and over. These figures refer to self-reported characteristics of refugees.

Medical Coverage

Overall, 6.9 percent of adult refugees surveyed lacked medical coverage of any kind throughout the year preceding the survey (refer to Table III-9). Another 45.1 percent of the Lost Boys sample received medical coverage through their employer whereas 48.0 percent of the sample received medical coverage from Medicaid or RMA.

Welfare Utilization

Table III-10 presents welfare utilization data on the Lost Boys sample. Non-cash assistance was generally higher than cash assistance, probably because Medicaid, food stamp, and housing assistance programs, though available to cash assistance households, are also available to households with low-income workers that do not receive cash assistance. Altogether, 46.5 percent of Lost Boys households reported receiving food stamps in the previous 12 months, 48.0 percent reported that their medical coverage was through low-income medical assistance programs (Medicaid or RMA), and 34.9 percent reported that they received housing assistance (refer to Table III-10).

Table III-10 also reveals that 37.2 percent of Lost Boys households surveyed in 2002 received some kind of cash assistance in at least one of the previous 12 months-16.3 percent of all Lost Boys households had received TANF in the last 12 months. This finding is approximately 69 percent more than the number reported in the 2002 annual survey of refugees. Twenty-three percent of sampled households received RCA in 2002 while 2.3 percent of refugee households had at least one household member who received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in the past twelve months.

General Assistance (or GA, also called General Relief or Home Relief in some States) is a form of cash assistance funded entirely with State or local funds. It generally provides assistance to single persons, childless couples, and families with children that are not eligible for AFDC/TANF. The 2002 survey reported that about five percent of refugee households received some form of GA during the past twelve months, virtually the same as the 4.7 percent rate for the Lost Boys surveyed.

Employment and Welfare Utilization Rates by State

The 2002 survey also reported welfare utilization and employment rate by State of residence. Table III-11 shows the EPR and utilization rates for various types of welfare for twelve States, as well as the nation as a whole. Unlike Table III-10, which computes welfare utilization rates for entire households, Table III-11 presents data on utilization by individual refugees (including children).

For the broader refugee population, the EPR was generally high where welfare utilization was low and vice-a-versa; however, in the Lost Boys sample, there were no distinct correlation between EPR and welfare dependency. Specifically, in States with a high refugee employment rate like New York (100 percent), Colorado (100 percent), Missouri (100 percent), North Carolina (100 percent) and Texas (94 percent), the welfare utilization ranged from 0 to 100 percent. Furthermore, many States that had both a low EPR and a low rate of welfare utilization for example, Arizona (17 percent) and Washington (37 percent) had relatively low EPRs but also had a low welfare utilization rate of 33 percent for both States.

Table III-8 - Characteristics of Lost Boys Households by Type of Income

Household Characteristics	Public Assistance Only	Both Public Assistance and Earnings	Earnings Only	Total Sample
Lost Boys Households with:
Average Household Size	5.0	3.6	2.7	3.2
Average Number of wage earners per household*	0.0	2.7	2.0	1.9
Percent of households with at least one member:
Under the age of 6	0.0%	7.1%	0.0%	4.7%
Under the age of 16	0.0	14.3	0.0	7.0
Fluent English Speaker	0.0	50.0	9.5	20.9

Note: *Data refer to Lost Boys 16 and over. Lost Boys households with neither earnings nor assistance are excluded.

The case of New York reveals this seemingly contradictory circumstance. It records an EPR of 100 percent, a welfare utilization rate of 100 percent, and a welfare utilization rate of 100 percent for RCA. These answers strain credulity.

In fact, all of these rates could be true, provided that the reader understand that it is extremely common for refugees to confuse their receipt of GA, which in New York is a program primarily for single individuals not eligible for RCA, with AFDC/TANF, which is exclusively for families with children. The reader should remember also that the sampled Lost Boy replies in the affirmative to questions about welfare utilization even if he received assistance in just one of the previous twelve months.

Thus, the paradoxical data of Table III-11 describes a population composed of several households that arrive during the year, receive RCA for their initial resettlement months, move seamlessly onto the GA rolls (not TANF/AFDC, as mis-reported during the interview) for several more months, and then into the work force in advance of the survey interview.

It is interesting to note the change in rate of welfare utilization that results from substituting individuals for households as the unit of analysis (the difference between the utilization rates reported in Table III-10 and Table III-11). Finally, the overall welfare utilization rate for refugee individuals (47 percent) was consistent with the total welfare utilization rate for refugee households (37 percent). As a general rule, measuring welfare utilization by household tends to inflate the utilization rate somewhat; however, the 2002 survey of households provides a more accurate depiction of utilization rates than in previous years.

TABLE III-9 - Source of Medical Coverage for Lost Boys

Source of Medical Coverage	Percent
No Medical Coverage in any of past 12 months	6.9%
Medical Coverage through employer	45.1
Medicaid or RMA	48.0

Note: As of December 2002. Data refer to Lost Boys 16 and over.

Table III-10 - Public Assistance Utilization of Lost Boys

Type of Public Assistance	Percent
Cash Assistance
Any Type of Cash Assistance	37.2%
AFDC/TANF	16.3
RCA	23.3
SSI	2.3
General Assistance	4.7
Non-cash Assistance
Medicaid or RMA	48.0
Food Stamps	46.5
Housing	34.9

Note: Medicaid and RMA data refer to adult Lost Boys age 16 and over. All other data refer to Lost Boys households and not individuals. Many households receive more that one type of assistance.

It is interesting to note the change in rate of welfare utilization that results from substituting individuals for households as the unit of analysis (the difference between the utilization rates reported in Table III-10 and Table III-11). Finally, the overall welfare utilization rate for refugee individuals (47 percent) was consistent with the total welfare utilization rate for refugee households (37 percent). As a general rule, measuring welfare utilization by household tends to inflate the utilization rate somewhat; however, the 2002 survey of households provide a more accurate depiction of utilization rates than in previous years.

Overall, findings from ORR's 2002 survey indicate (as in previous years) that refugees face significant problems significant problems upon arrival in the United States. But, over time, refugees generally find jobs and move toward economic self-sufficiency in their new country. Data also show that the continued progress of many refugee households toward self-sufficiency is tied to education, English proficiency and other characteristics as age at time of arrival and family support.

TABLE III-11 - Lost Boys Employment-to-Population Ratio (EPR) and Welfare Dependency for Top Twelve States

State	Arrivals*	EPR	AFDC/TANF	RCA	SSI	GA	Total**
Percent of Individuals (not Households) on Welfare
Texas	(106)	94.1%	0.0%	37.5%	0.0%	0.0%	37.5%
Massachusetts	(65)	62.5	0.0	66.7	0.0	0.0	66.7
California	(53)	75.0	25.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	25.0
Pennsylvania	(49)	80.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Washington	(45)	37.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	33.3	33.3
Utah	(37)	66.7	33.3	33.3	0.0	0.0	66.6
Arizona	(33)	16.7	33.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	33.3
New York	(20)	100.0	100.0	100.0	0.0	0.0	200.0
Virginia	(20)	80.0	0.0	50.0	0.0	0.0	50.0
Colorado	(16)	100.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Missouri	(16)	100.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
North Carolina	(16)	100.0	100.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	100.0
Other States	(61)	71.4	25.0	25.0	12.5	12.5	75.0
All States	(537)	73.5	16.3	23.3	2.3	4.7	46.6

*The State arrival figures are weighted totals.

**The column totals represent percent of individuals who received any combination of AFDC, RCA, SSI and/or GA, e.g., if an individual received AFDC, RCA, SSI, and GA, he/she is counted four times.

Note: As of December 2002. Not seasonally adjusted. Welfare utilization refers to receipt of public assistance in at least one of the past twelve months. The listed utilization rate for each type of public assistance is the ratio of the number of individuals (including minor children) receiving such aid to the total number of individuals in the sample population residing in that State. Because some refugees have difficulty distinguishing between GA and AFDC/TANF, some AFDC/TANF utilization may reflect GA utilization and vice versa.

Technical Note: The Lost Boys of Sudan Survey, with interviews conducted by DB Consulting Group, Inc. in the fall of 2002. Although respondents from Sudan have traditionally been included into the Annual Survey of Refugees, this is the first time a single population has been surveyed to track their adjustment to resettlement in the U.S. A random sample was selected from the ORR Refugee Data File. ORR's contractor, DB Consulting Group, Inc. contacted the family by a letter in English and a second letter in the refugee's native language. If the person sampled was a child, an adult living in the same household was interviewed. Interviews were conducted by telephone in the refugee's native language. The questionnaire and interview procedures used with this population were the same as the ones employed in the Annual Survey of Refugees.

Of the 175 cases from the 2002 sample, 100 were contacted and interviewed, 5 were contacted and yielded partial interviews, 70 could not be traced in time to be interviewed, and none refused to be interviewed.

[1] The median wage for all full-time hourly workers in the U.S. for the fourth quarter of 2002 was $14.57 per hour. The average weekly earnings for full-time salaried workers in the U.S. in 2002 was about $14.93 per hour.