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Digest of Education Statistics: 2009
Digest of Education Statistics: 2009

NCES 2010-013
April 2010


Table 389. Labor force status of high school dropouts, by sex and race/ethnicity: Selected years, 1980 through 2008
Year, sex, and race/
ethnicity
Number of dropouts (in thousands) Percent of all dropouts Percentage distribution of dropouts Labor force participation rate of dropouts1 Dropouts in civilian labor force2 Dropouts not in labor force (in thousands)
Employed Unemployed (seeking employment) Not in labor force Number (in thousands) Unemployment rate
Total Unemployed (seeking employment)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
All dropouts                                                        
1980 738 (44.0) 100.0 (†) 43.8   (2.97) 20.0   (2.37) 36.2   (2.87) 63.8   (2.87) 471   (35.2) 148   (19.5) 31.4   (3.44) 267   (26.5)
1985 610 (42.3) 100.0 (†) 43.5   (3.45) 24.0   (2.94) 32.5   (3.25) 67.5   (3.25) 412   (34.8) 147   (20.6) 35.6   (4.01) 198   (24.1)
1990 412 (36.0) 100.0 (†) 46.3   (4.37) 21.6   (3.57) 32.2   (4.09) 67.8   (4.09) 279   (29.7) 89   (16.6) 31.8   (4.90) 132   (20.4)
1995 604 (43.6) 100.0 (†) 47.7   (3.61) 20.0   (2.86) 32.3   (3.38) 67.7   (3.38) 409   (35.9) 121   (19.3) 29.6   (3.97) 195   (24.8)
2000 515 (28.5) 100.0 (†) 48.7   (2.77) 19.2   (3.01) 32.0   (2.59) 68.0   (2.59) 350   (23.5) 99   (17.2) 28.1   (4.16) 165   (16.2)
2003 457 (26.9) 100.0 (†) 40.9   (2.90) 18.4   (3.14) 40.7   (2.89) 59.3   (2.89) 271   (20.7) 84   (15.9) 30.8   (4.86) 186   (17.2)
2004 496 (39.0) 100.0 (†) 32.5   (3.68) 21.4   (3.19) 46.3   (3.03) 53.7   (3.92) 267   (28.6) 106   (17.8) 39.9   (5.20) 229   (20.5)
2005 407 (35.3) 100.0 (†) 38.3   (4.22) 18.9   (3.42) 42.8   (3.32) 57.2   (4.30) 233   (26.7) 77   (15.4) 32.9   (5.42) 174   (17.9)
2006 445 (36.9) 100.0 (†) 40.3   (4.07) 12.5   (2.75) 47.2   (3.20) 52.8   (4.15) 235   (26.8) 55   (13.1) 23.6   (4.87) 210   (19.6)
2007 426 (36.1) 100.0 (†) 41.1   (4.17) 15.1   (3.05) 43.8   (3.25) 56.2   (4.21) 239   (27.1) 64   (14.1) 26.9   (5.04) 187   (18.5)
2008 400 (35.0) 100.0 (†) 29.3   (3.98) 19.1   (3.46) 51.6   (3.38) 48.4   (4.38) 194   (24.4) 77   (15.4) 39.5   (6.18) 206   (19.4)
                                                       
Male                                                        
1980 422 (32.5) 57.2 (2.89) 50.3   (3.86) 22.0   (3.20) 27.7   (3.45) 72.3   (3.45) 305   (27.7) 93   (15.3) 30.5   (4.18) 117   (17.1)
1985 319 (29.9) 52.3 (3.39) 50.8   (4.69) 30.6   (4.32) 18.6   (3.65) 81.4   (3.65) 260   (27.0) 98   (16.6) 37.6   (5.04) 59   (12.9)
1990 217 (25.6) 52.8 (4.27) 51.3   (5.89) 28.0   (5.29) 20.7   (4.77) 79.3   (4.77) 172   (22.8) 61   (13.5) 35.3   (6.32) 45   (11.6)
1995 339 (31.5) 56.2 (3.45) 52.8   (4.64) 21.3   (3.80) 26.0   (4.07) 74.0   (4.07) 251   (27.1) 72   (14.5) 28.7   (4.88) 88   (16.1)
2000 295 (29.3) 57.3 (3.73) 56.3   (4.94) 18.3   (3.85) 25.6   (4.35) 74.4   (4.35) 220   (25.3) 54   (12.6) 24.5   (4.96) 76   (14.9)
2003 242 (26.6) 53.0 (3.99) 43.8   (5.46) 21.9   (4.55) 34.4   (5.22) 65.6   (5.22) 159   (21.6) 53   (12.5) 33.2   (6.39) 83   (15.6)
2004 278 (28.7) 56.0 (3.84) 35.6   (4.95) 24.1   (4.42) 40.1   (5.07) 59.9   (5.07) 166   (22.2) 67   (14.1) 40.4   (6.56) 112   (18.2)
2005 227 (25.9) 55.8 (4.24) 38.3   (5.56) 21.6   (4.71) 40.3   (5.61) 59.7   (5.61) 136   (20.1) 49   (12.1) 35.9   (7.09) 91   (16.4)
2006 256 (27.6) 57.6 (4.04) 46.3   (5.37) 11.2 ! (3.39) 42.5   (5.32) 57.5   (5.32) 147   (20.9) 29 ! (9.2) 19.4   (5.62) 109   (18.0)
2007 233 (26.3) 54.6 (4.16) 41.4   (5.57) 19.0   (4.43) 39.6   (5.53) 60.4   (5.53) 141   (20.4) 44   (11.5) 31.5   (6.75) 92   (16.5)
2008 191 (23.8) 47.6 (4.30) 29.3   (5.69) 24.6   (5.38) 46.1   (6.22) 53.9   (6.22) 103   (17.5) 47   (11.8) 45.6   (8.47) 88   (16.1)
                                                       
Female                                                        
1980 316 (27.0) 42.8 (2.77) 35.0   (4.08) 17.4   (3.24) 47.6   (4.28) 52.4   (4.28) 165   (19.6) 55   (11.3) 33.2   (5.57) 150   (18.7)
1985 291 (27.4) 47.7 (3.25) 35.5   (4.51) 16.8   (3.52) 47.8   (4.71) 52.2   (4.71) 152   (19.8) 49   (11.2) 32.1   (6.09) 139   (18.9)
1990 194 (23.2) 47.2 (4.10) 40.6   (5.87) 14.4   (4.19) 45.0   (5.94) 55.0   (5.94) 107   (17.2) 28 ! (8.8) 26.1   (7.08) 87   (15.6)
1995 265 (26.6) 43.8 (3.31) 41.1   (4.96) 18.4   (3.91) 40.5   (4.95) 59.5   (4.95) 157   (20.6) 49   (11.5) 30.9   (6.05) 107   (17.0)
2000 220 (24.3) 42.7 (3.58) 39.1   (5.40) 20.5   (4.46) 40.6   (5.43) 59.4   (5.43) 131   (18.8) 45   (11.0) 34.2   (6.80) 90   (15.6)
2003 215 (24.0) 47.0 (3.83) 37.7   (5.42) 14.4   (3.93) 47.9   (5.59) 52.1   (5.59) 112   (17.4) 31   (9.1) 27.6   (6.93) 103   (16.6)
2004 218 (24.6) 44.0 (3.72) 28.0   (5.07) 17.9   (4.33) 54.1   (5.63) 45.9   (5.63) 100   (16.7) 39   (10.4) 38.9   (8.13) 118   (18.1)
2005 180 (22.4) 44.2 (4.11) 38.3   (6.04) 15.6   (4.51) 46.0   (6.20) 54.0   (6.20) 97   (16.4) 28 ! (8.8) 28.8   (7.67) 83   (15.2)
2006 189 (22.9) 42.4 (3.91) 32.3   (5.68) 14.2   (4.24) 53.5   (6.06) 46.5   (6.06) 88   (15.6) 27 ! (8.6) 30.6   (8.21) 101   (16.8)
2007 193 (23.2) 45.4 (4.02) 40.6   (5.89) 10.4 ! (3.66) 48.9   (5.99) 51.1   (5.99) 99   (16.6) 20 ! (7.5) 20.4 ! (6.76) 95   (16.2)
2008 210 (24.1) 52.4 (4.16) 29.2   (5.24) 14.2   (4.02) 56.6   (5.71) 43.4   (5.71) 91   (15.9) 30 ! (9.1) 32.7   (8.20) 119   (18.2)
                                                       
White                                                        
1980 489 (35.9) 66.2 (2.83) 50.3   (3.67) 18.0   (2.79) 31.7   (3.42) 68.3   (3.42) 334   (29.7) 88   (15.1) 26.3   (3.87) 155   (20.2)
1985 354 (32.3) 58.1 (3.43) 49.2   (4.56) 23.3   (3.82) 27.5   (4.07) 72.5   (4.07) 257   (27.5) 83   (15.4) 32.2   (4.95) 98   (16.9)
1990 242 (27.6) 58.8 (4.31) 56.3   (5.67) 18.7   (4.41) 25.0   (4.95) 75.0   (4.95) 181   (23.9) 45   (11.8) 25.0   (5.65) 60   (13.8)
1995 316 (31.6) 52.3 (3.61) 51.6   (5.00) 18.3   (3.83) 30.1   (4.59) 69.9   (4.59) 221   (26.4) 58   (13.4) 26.2   (5.21) 95   (17.3)
2000 288 (21.4) 55.9 (2.76) 60.2   (3.63) 16.5   (3.79) 23.4   (3.14) 76.6   (3.14) 221   (18.7) 47   (11.9) 21.5   (4.79) 67   (10.3)
2003 226 (18.9) 49.4 (2.95) 48.0   (4.19) 18.2   (4.45) 33.8   (3.97) 66.2   (3.97) 149   (15.4) 41   (11.1) 27.4   (6.33) 76   (11.0)
2004 239 (27.1) 48.2 (3.93) 36.1   (5.44) 14.9   (4.05) 49.0   (5.66) 51.0   (5.66) 122   (19.3) 36   (10.5) 29.2   (7.25) 117   (18.9)
2005 194 (24.4) 47.6 (4.34) 40.3   (6.17) 20.0   (5.05) 39.7   (6.16) 60.3   (6.16) 117   (18.9) 39   (10.9) 33.2   (7.67) 77   (15.4)
2006 214 (25.6) 48.0 (4.15) 48.9   (5.99) 8.2 ! (3.31) 42.8   (5.93) 57.2   (5.93) 122   (19.4) 18 ! (7.4) 14.4 ! (5.59) 92   (16.8)
2007 178 (23.4) 41.8 (4.18) 40.8   (6.45) 11.4 ! (4.19) 47.7   (6.56) 52.3   (6.56) 93   (16.9) 20 ! (7.9) 21.8 ! (7.54) 85   (16.1)
2008 152 (21.6) 38.1 (4.25) 38.6   (6.90) 20.6   (5.76) 40.9   (6.97) 59.1   (6.97) 90   (16.6) 31 ! (9.8) 34.8   (8.83) 62   (13.8)
                                                       
Black                                                        
1980 141 (19.9) 19.1 (2.43) 20.9   (5.77) 28.4   (6.40) 50.7   (7.09) 49.3   (7.09) 69   (14.0) 40   (10.6)   (†) 71   (14.2)
1985 130 (20.2) 21.4 (2.95) 29.9   (7.13) 22.7   (6.52) 47.5   (7.78) 52.5   (7.78) 68   (14.7) 30 ! (9.7)   (†) 62   (14.0)
1990 82 (16.6) 19.9 (3.62) 30.9 ! (9.42) 35.2   (9.74) 33.9   (9.64) 66.1   (9.64) 54   (13.5) 29 ! (9.9)   (†) 28 ! (9.7)
1995 104 (18.5) 17.2 (2.79) 33.5   (8.40) 25.8 ! (7.78) 40.8   (8.75) 59.2   (8.75) 62   (14.2) 27 ! (9.4)   (†) 42   (11.8)
2000 106 (18.7) 20.6 (3.24) 26.7   (7.79) 25.5 ! (7.68) 47.8   (8.80) 52.2   (8.80) 55   (13.5) 27 ! (9.4)   (†) 51   (12.9)
2003 81 (16.3) 17.8 (3.25) 29.1 ! (9.15) 22.9 ! (8.46) 48.0   (10.06) 52.0   (10.06) 42   (11.8) 19 ! (7.8)   (†) 39   (11.3)
2004 86 (17.2) 17.3 (3.16) 9.9 ! (5.99) 44.9   (9.97) 45.2   (9.98) 54.8   (9.98) 47   (12.7) 39   (11.5)   (†) 39   (11.6)
2005 108 (19.3) 26.5 (4.07) 26.5   (7.89) 16.0 ! (6.56) 57.5   (8.84) 42.5   (8.84) 46   (12.6) 17 ! (7.7)   (†) 62   (14.6)
2006 69 (15.4) 15.5 (3.19)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†) 36 ! (11.2) 17 ! (7.6)   (†) 33 ! (10.6)
2007 73 (15.9) 17.2 (3.40)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†) 43   (12.2) 17 ! (7.6)   (†) 30 ! (10.2)
2008 109 (19.4) 27.3 (4.14) 18.1 ! (6.84) 15.0 ! (6.34) 67.0   (8.36) 33.0   (8.36) 36 ! (11.2) 16 ! (7.5)   (†) 73   (15.9)
                                                       
Hispanic                                                        
1980 91 (18.9) 12.3 (2.41) 47.2   (10.42) 17.9 ! (8.00) 34.8   (9.94) 65.2   (9.94) 59   (15.3) 16 ! (8.0)   (†) 32 ! (11.2)
1985 105 (18.2) 17.3 (2.72) 37.9   (8.41) 32.0   (8.09) 30.1   (7.95) 69.9   (7.95) 74   (15.2) 34 ! (10.3)   (†) 32 ! (10.0)
1990 72 (15.6) 17.4 (3.44)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†) 32 ! (10.5) 10 ! (5.9)   (†) 39   (11.5)
1995 174 (23.8) 28.8 (3.34) 48.5   (6.88) 20.1   (5.52) 31.4   (6.40) 68.6   (6.40) 119   (19.7) 35 ! (10.7) 29.3   (7.57) 55   (13.4)
2000 101 (18.2) 19.6 (3.18) 39.0   (8.83) 22.2 ! (7.52) 38.9   (8.82) 61.1   (8.82) 62   (14.2) 22 ! (8.6)   (†) 39   (11.3)
2003 124 (20.2) 27.1 (3.77) 40.7   (8.00) 13.8 ! (5.62) 45.5   (8.11) 54.5   (8.11) 68   (14.9) 17 ! (7.5)   (†) 57   (13.6)
2004 154 (23.0) 31.0 (3.86) 39.3   (7.32) 17.4 ! (5.68) 43.2   (7.42) 56.8   (7.42) 87   (17.3) 27 ! (9.6) 30.7   (9.17) 67   (15.1)
2005 86 (17.2) 21.1 (3.76) 45.1   (9.96) 19.2 ! (7.89) 35.7   (9.59) 64.3   (9.59) 55   (13.8) 17 ! (7.6)   (†) 31 ! (10.3)
2006 136 (21.6) 30.5 (4.06) 35.3   (7.62) 12.6 ! (5.29) 52.2   (7.97) 47.8   (7.97) 65   (15.0) 17 ! (7.7)   (†) 71   (15.6)
2007 119 (20.3) 28.0 (4.04) 37.6   (8.24) 23.0 ! (7.16) 39.5   (8.32) 60.5   (8.32) 72   (15.8) 27 ! (9.7)   (†) 47   (12.7)
2008 111 (19.6) 27.8 (4.16) 31.9   (8.21) 24.5 ! (7.58) 43.7   (8.74) 56.3   (8.74) 63   (14.7) 27 ! (9.7)   (†) 49   (12.9)
†Not applicable.
!Interpret data with caution.
‡Reporting standards not met.
1The labor force participation rate is the percentage of persons who are either employed or seeking employment.
2 The labor force includes all employed persons plus those seeking employment. The unemployment rate is the percentage of persons in the labor force who are not working and who made specific efforts to find employment sometime during the prior 4 weeks.
NOTE: Data are based on sample surveys of the civilian noninstitutional population. Dropouts are considered persons 16 to 24 years old who dropped out of school in the 12-month period ending in October of years shown. Includes dropouts from any grade, including a small number from elementary and middle schools. Percentages are only shown when the base is 75,000 or greater. Totals include race categories not separately shown. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Standard errors appear in parentheses. Some data have been revised from previously published figures.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October, selected years, 1980 through 2008. (This table was prepared September 2009.)