October 10, 2001 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

About one in ten 16-year-old students working more than half-time

In 1997, about one in ten 16-year-old students worked for pay more than 20 hours per week, according to data from the National Longitudinal Surveys.

Hours worked per week by school-enrolled 16 year-olds in the week prior to the interview, National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), 1997, by race or Hispanic origin
[Chart data—TXT]

White students tended to be more likely to work over 20 hours per week than black or Hispanic students. In 1997, 12.3 percent of white school-enrolled 16-year-olds worked 21 or more hours. This compares with 6.2 percent of black 16-year-olds and 8.0 percent of Hispanic 16-year-olds.

Overall, 10.5 percent of 16-year-old students worked 21 or more hours per week, while 61.6 percent reported no hours worked at all.

Data on the employment experience and other characteristics of youths are a product of the National Longitudinal Surveys program. Additional information is available from "Youth employment during school: results from two longitudinal surveys," by Donna S. Rothstein, Monthly Labor Review, August 2001.