2005 Employment Experience of Youths: Results from a Longitudinal Survey — 2005-04-27

Based upon the recurring interviews of a panel of young people conducted over the 1997-2003 period, work activity for high school students varied substantially depending upon the specific grade they were attending. For example, 23 percent of high school freshmen worked during the school year, while nearly 75 percent of high school seniors worked at some time during the school year. Many students who eventually graduated from high school worked long hours during the school year; about a quarter of working fresh- men averaged 21 or more hours of work per week, as did 56 percent of working seniors. These findings are from the first six annual rounds of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, which is sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. The survey provides information on the employment experiences, schooling, family background, social behavior, and other characteristics of youths.