Table 3. Percent of weeks individuals were employed, unemployed, or not in the labor force from age 18 to age 46 in 1978-2010 by educational attainment, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
Table 3. Percent of weeks individuals were employed, unemployed, or not in the labor
force from age 18 to age 46 in 1978-2010 by educational attainment, sex, race, and
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
Percent of total weeks while
ages 18 to 46 in 1978-2010
Characteristic
Not in
Employed Unemployed labor force
Total, ages 18 to 46 in 1978-2010 .......... 77.7 4.4 17.2
Less than a high school diploma .......... 59.9 7.9 31.3
High school graduates, no college (1) .... 79.1 4.8 15.4
Some college or associate degree ......... 79.4 4.1 15.7
Bachelor's degree and higher (2).......... 82.4 2.5 14.5
Men ........................................ 84.3 4.7 10.2
Less than a high school diploma .......... 69.8 9.1 19.9
High school graduates, no college (1) .... 86.6 4.8 7.8
Some college or associate degree ......... 87.0 4.1 8.2
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ......... 86.6 2.6 10.1
Women ...................................... 70.7 4.0 24.6
Less than a high school diploma .......... 46.3 6.2 47.0
High school graduates, no college (1) .... 70.4 4.8 24.2
Some college or associate degree ......... 72.9 4.0 22.2
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ......... 78.3 2.3 18.9
White non-Hispanic ......................... 79.9 3.6 15.9
Less than a high school diploma .......... 63.6 6.9 28.6
High school graduates, no college (1) .... 81.7 3.9 13.8
Some college or associate degree ......... 80.1 3.4 15.6
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ......... 82.6 2.3 14.6
Black non-Hispanic ......................... 68.7 8.4 22.0
Less than a high school diploma .......... 48.4 11.4 39.2
High school graduates, no college (1) .... 68.1 9.5 21.5
Some college or associate degree ......... 76.3 7.2 15.8
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ......... 81.0 4.6 13.6
Hispanic or Latino ........................ 72.5 5.2 21.2
Less than a high school diploma .......... 62.4 7.9 28.8
High school graduates, no college (1) .... 73.5 5.0 20.4
Some college or associate degree ......... 78.2 3.7 17.0
Bachelor's degree and higher (2) ......... 80.3 3.2 15.7
1 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.
2 Includes persons with a bachelor's, master's, professional, or doctoral degrees.
NOTE: This table excludes individuals who turned age 18 before January 1, 1978, or
who had not yet turned age 47 when interviewed in 2010-11.
Totals do not add to 100 percent due to a small number of respondents whose
employment status cannot be determined for all weeks.
The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 consists of men and women who were
born in the years 1957-64 and were ages 14 to 22 when first interviewed in 1979.
These individuals were ages 45 to 53 in 2010-11. Educational attainment is defined
as of the 2010-11 survey. Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity groups are mutually
exclusive but not exhaustive. Other race groups, which are included in the overall
totals, are not shown separately because their representation in the survey sample is
not sufficiently large to provide statistically reliable estimates.
Last Modified Date: July 25, 2012
