Published Jul-12-2010
During the October when they were age 22, nearly one-third (29%) of women were attending college compared with 25 percent of men (Graph 1). This difference in college-enrollment rates stems from three factors: (1) women were more likely to have graduated from high school; (2) among high school graduates, women were more likely to attend college; and (3) once enrolled in college, women were less likely than men to leave college between school years.
Some people delay their college enrollment for a year or more after high school, and others enroll in college and then leave before earning a degree. Nine percent of high school graduates not enrolled in college during the October when they were age 21 were enrolled in college the following October. Sixty percent of individuals attending college during the October when they were age 21 were still attending college by the following October, and 24 percent had received a bachelor's degree.
Instead of attending school, some young adults enroll in training to further their skills. Five percent of high school graduates who were not enrolled in college at age 21 were in a training program during the October when age 22, while 1 percent of those previously enrolled in college at age 21 were enrolled in a training program at age 22.
At age 22, labor force status differed substantially between high school dropouts, high school graduates who had never attended college and individuals who had left college. Those with more education were more likely to be employed in civilian jobs. In the October they were age 22, about six out of 10 high school dropouts were employed in civilian jobs. At this same age, 72 percent of high school graduates who had never enrolled in college were employed in civilian jobs, and another 6 percent were serving in the Armed Forces.
Individuals had an average of 4.4 jobs from the ages of 18 to 22 in 1998-2007. On average, men held 4.2 jobs and women held 4.5. In this case, a job is defined as an uninterrupted period of work with a particular employer. On average, young adults were employed during 69 percent of all the weeks occurring from age 18 to age 22. They were unemployed - that is, without jobs but seeking work - 6 percent of the weeks. They were not in the labor force - that is, neither working nor seeking work - 25 percent of the weeks.
The amount of time spent in the labor force also differs by sex. Men with less than a high school diploma spent 61 percent of weeks employed from age 18 to age 22. These men also spent 13 percent of weeks unemployed. By comparison, women with less than a high school diploma spent 45 percent of weeks employed and 10 percent of weeks unemployed from age 18 to age 22. Women without a high school diploma spent as much time out of the labor force as they did employed. Women with a bachelor's degree or more spent a larger proportion of weeks employed than did men (69% versus 58%).
This information was taken from a Bureau of Labor Statistics press release dated January 2010.
