Table 4. Percent of weeks individuals were employed, unemployed, or not in the labor force from age 18 through
age 24 in 1998-2009 by educational attainment, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

                                                           Average   Percent of total weeks while ages 18 to 24
Characteristic                                             number                  in 1998-2009
                                                             of     Employed     Unemployed     Not in
                                                            jobs                              labor force

Total, ages 18 to 24 in 1998-2009 .......................  5.4         73.6           5.4         20.6
  Less than a high school diploma .......................  5.0         54.7          10.9         33.7
  High school graduates, never enrolled in college (1) ..  5.0         74.9           7.1         17.6
  Some college or associate degree ......................  5.4         77.8           4.7         17.2
  Bachelor's degree or more (2) .........................  5.9         72.3           3.0         24.4

Men .....................................................  5.1         75.3           5.8         18.5
  Less than a high school diploma .......................  5.2         62.3          12.1         25.1
  High school graduates, never enrolled in college (1) ..  5.1         79.3           7.3         12.9
  Some college or associate degree ......................  5.1         79.4           4.6         15.7
  Bachelors degree or more (2) ..........................  5.4         68.5           3.1         28.1

Women ...................................................  5.6         71.8           5.0         22.9
  Less than a high school diploma .......................  4.7         45.3           9.5         44.5
  High school graduates, never enrolled in college (1) ..  4.8         68.5           6.8         24.3
  Some college or associate degree ......................  5.7         76.2           4.8         18.7
  Bachelor's degree or more (2) .........................  6.3         75.2           2.9         21.6

White, non-Hispanic .....................................  5.6         76.1           4.4         19.1
  Less than a high school diploma .......................  6.0         57.6          10.7         30.9
  High school graduates, never enrolled in college (1) ..  5.1         78.5           5.8         15.3
  Some college or associate degree ......................  5.6         80.2           3.7         15.8
  Bachelor's degree or more (2) .........................  6.1         73.5           2.8         23.5

Black, non-Hispanic .....................................  5.0         63.6           9.8         26.1
  Less than a high school diploma .......................  3.5         42.4          15.2         41.8
  High school graduates, never enrolled in college (1) ..  4.7         62.3          11.9         25.2
  Some college or associate degree ......................  5.3         69.8           8.5         21.5
  Bachelor's degree or more (2) .........................  6.0         69.3           4.0         26.4

Hispanic  or Latino .....................................  4.7         73.5           5.7         20.6
  Less than a high school diploma .......................  4.3         60.7           7.2         31.7
  High school graduates, never enrolled in college (1) ..  4.6         74.7           6.9         18.1
  Some college or associate degree ......................  4.8         77.5           4.9         17.4
  Bachelor's degree or more (2) .........................  5.0         71.7           3.7         24.2

   1 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.
   2 Includes persons with a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees or professional degrees,
such as law or medical degrees.
   NOTE: This table excludes individuals who had not yet turned age 25 when interviewed in 2009-10.
   Percentages do not sum to 100 due to a small number of respondents whose employment
status cannot be determined for all weeks.
   The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 consists of men and women who were ages were ages 12
to 16 on December 31, 1996. 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. Educational attainment is determined as of age 24.