Between 1980 and 2010, the percentage of high school students age 16 years and above who were employed decreased from 36 percent to 16 percent. For male high school students, the decrease was from 37 percent in 1980 to 14 percent in 2010.
In 2010, approximately 16 percent of high school students age 16 years and above were employed; 7 percent were employed for less than 15 hours per week and 8 percent were employed for 15 or more hours per week. The percentage of female high school students age 16 years and above who were employed (18 percent) was higher than the percentage of male high school students age 16 years and above who were employed (14 percent). The same pattern held for those who worked less than 15 hours per week as well as for those who worked 15 hours per week or more (see table A-30-1).
Between 1980 and 2010, the percentage of high school students age 16 years and above who were employed decreased from 36 percent to 16 percent. For male high school students age 16 years and above, the decrease was from 37 percent in 1980 to 14 percent in 2010. In 1980, some 14 percent of high school students age 16 years and above were employed less than 15 hours per week and 21 percent were employed for 15 or more hours per week; these percentages declined to 7 percent and 8 percent, respectively, by 2010. The percentage of males age 16 years and above who were employed for less than 15 hours per week declined from 14 percent in 1980 to 6 percent in 2010. For females, the percentages who were employed less than 15 hours per week declined from 14 percent to 8 percent over the same time period. For male students age 16 years and above employed 15 or more hours per week, the decline was from 22 percent in 1980 to 7 percent in 2010; for females, 19 percent were employed 15 or more hours per week in 1980 and 9 percent were in 2010.
In 2010, some 47 percent of high school students age 16 years and above who were employed worked less than 15 hours, and 53 percent worked 15 or more hours per week (see table A-30-2). Hours worked per week varied by student characteristic. Forty-eight percent of younger (16 to 17 years old) high school students who were employed worked 15 or more hours per week, compared to 66 percent of older (18 years old and older) high school students who were employed.
In 2010, about 44 percent of employed high school students age 16 years and above from high-income families (the top 20 percent of family incomes) worked 15 or more hours per week, compared with 56 percent of employed students from middle-income families (the middle 60 percent of family incomes), and 62 percent of employed students from low-income families (the bottom 20 percent of family incomes). For native-born employed high school students age 16 years and above (those who were born in the 50 states and the District of Columbia), 52 percent worked 15 or more hours per week, compared to 75 percent of foreign-born employed high school students.
Technical Notes
The percentage of employed high school students includes those who were employed but not at work during the survey week. Hours worked per week refers to the number of hours the respondent worked at all jobs during the survey week. Native-born refers to high school students born in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. For more information on family income, see Appendix C – Commonly Used Measures. For more information on the Current Population Survey (CPS), see Appendix B – Guide to Sources.
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