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| 2017 Tables and Figures | All Years of Tables and Figures | Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest |
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| Table 219.75. | Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 to 24 years old (status dropout rate), by income level, and percentage distribution of status dropouts, by labor force status and years of school completed: Selected years, 1970 through 2016 |
| [Standard errors appear in parentheses] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Status dropout rate | Status dropout rate, by family income1 | Percentage distribution of status dropouts, by labor force status2 |
Percentage distribution of status dropouts, by years of school completed |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lowest quarter |
Middle low quarter |
Middle high quarter |
Highest quarter |
Total | In labor force | Not in labor force |
Total | Less than 9 years | 9 years | 10 years | 11 or 12 years | |||||||||||||||||
| Employed3 | Unemployed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | ||||||||||||||
| 1970 | 15.0 | (0.30) | 28.0 | (0.94) | 21.2 | (0.66) | 11.7 | (0.51) | 5.2 | (0.34) | 100.0 | (†) | 49.8 | (1.08) | 10.3 | (0.66) | 39.9 | (1.06) | 100.0 | (†) | 28.5 | (0.98) | 20.6 | (0.87) | 26.8 | (0.96) | 24.0 | (0.92) |
| 1975 | 13.9 | (0.27) | 28.8 | (0.84) | 18.0 | (0.59) | 10.2 | (0.46) | 5.0 | (0.31) | 100.0 | (†) | 46.0 | (1.04) | 15.6 | (0.76) | 38.4 | (1.02) | 100.0 | (†) | 23.5 | (0.89) | 21.1 | (0.85) | 27.5 | (0.93) | 27.9 | (0.94) |
| 1976 | 14.1 | (0.27) | 28.1 | (0.80) | 19.2 | (0.61) | 10.1 | (0.46) | 4.9 | (0.30) | 100.0 | (†) | 48.8 | (1.03) | 16.0 | (0.75) | 35.2 | (0.98) | 100.0 | (†) | 24.3 | (0.88) | 20.1 | (0.82) | 27.8 | (0.92) | 27.8 | (0.92) |
| 1977 | 14.1 | (0.27) | 28.5 | (0.81) | 19.0 | (0.60) | 10.4 | (0.46) | 4.5 | (0.29) | 100.0 | (†) | 52.9 | (1.02) | 13.6 | (0.70) | 33.6 | (0.97) | 100.0 | (†) | 24.3 | (0.88) | 21.7 | (0.84) | 27.3 | (0.91) | 26.6 | (0.91) |
| 1978 | 14.2 | (0.27) | 28.2 | (0.81) | 18.9 | (0.61) | 10.5 | (0.46) | 5.5 | (0.31) | 100.0 | (†) | 54.3 | (1.01) | 12.4 | (0.67) | 33.3 | (0.96) | 100.0 | (†) | 22.9 | (0.85) | 20.2 | (0.81) | 28.2 | (0.91) | 28.8 | (0.92) |
| 1979 | 14.6 | (0.27) | 28.1 | (0.79) | 18.5 | (0.60) | 11.5 | (0.48) | 5.6 | (0.32) | 100.0 | (†) | 54.0 | (1.00) | 12.7 | (0.67) | 33.3 | (0.94) | 100.0 | (†) | 22.6 | (0.84) | 21.0 | (0.82) | 28.6 | (0.90) | 27.8 | (0.90) |
| 1980 | 14.1 | (0.27) | 27.0 | (0.77) | 18.1 | (0.60) | 10.7 | (0.46) | 5.7 | (0.32) | 100.0 | (†) | 50.4 | (1.02) | 17.0 | (0.77) | 32.6 | (0.95) | 100.0 | (†) | 23.6 | (0.86) | 19.7 | (0.81) | 29.8 | (0.93) | 27.0 | (0.90) |
| 1981 | 13.9 | (0.26) | 26.4 | (0.76) | 17.8 | (0.58) | 11.1 | (0.47) | 5.2 | (0.30) | 100.0 | (†) | 49.8 | (1.01) | 18.3 | (0.78) | 31.9 | (0.94) | 100.0 | (†) | 24.3 | (0.87) | 18.6 | (0.79) | 30.2 | (0.93) | 26.9 | (0.90) |
| 1982 | 13.9 | (0.28) | 27.2 | (0.79) | 18.3 | (0.63) | 10.2 | (0.49) | 4.4 | (0.30) | 100.0 | (†) | 45.2 | (1.08) | 21.1 | (0.88) | 33.7 | (1.02) | 100.0 | (†) | 22.9 | (0.91) | 20.8 | (0.88) | 28.8 | (0.98) | 27.6 | (0.97) |
| 1983 | 13.7 | (0.28) | 26.5 | (0.78) | 17.8 | (0.63) | 10.5 | (0.50) | 4.1 | (0.29) | 100.0 | (†) | 48.4 | (1.10) | 18.2 | (0.85) | 33.4 | (1.04) | 100.0 | (†) | 23.0 | (0.92) | 19.3 | (0.87) | 28.8 | (0.99) | 28.8 | (0.99) |
| 1984 | 13.1 | (0.28) | 25.9 | (0.77) | 16.5 | (0.62) | 9.9 | (0.49) | 3.8 | (0.29) | 100.0 | (†) | 49.7 | (1.13) | 17.3 | (0.86) | 32.9 | (1.06) | 100.0 | (†) | 23.6 | (0.96) | 21.4 | (0.93) | 27.5 | (1.01) | 27.5 | (1.01) |
| 1985 | 12.6 | (0.28) | 27.1 | (0.79) | 14.7 | (0.61) | 8.3 | (0.46) | 4.0 | (0.29) | 100.0 | (†) | 50.1 | (1.17) | 17.5 | (0.89) | 32.4 | (1.09) | 100.0 | (†) | 23.9 | (1.00) | 21.0 | (0.95) | 27.9 | (1.05) | 27.2 | (1.04) |
| 1986 | 12.2 | (0.27) | 25.4 | (0.77) | 14.8 | (0.61) | 8.0 | (0.45) | 3.4 | (0.28) | 100.0 | (†) | 51.1 | (1.19) | 16.4 | (0.88) | 32.5 | (1.12) | 100.0 | (†) | 25.4 | (1.04) | 21.5 | (0.98) | 25.7 | (1.04) | 27.4 | (1.07) |
| 1987 | 12.6 | (0.28) | 25.5 | (0.78) | 16.6 | (0.64) | 8.0 | (0.47) | 3.6 | (0.29) | 100.0 | (†) | 52.4 | (1.18) | 13.6 | (0.81) | 34.0 | (1.12) | 100.0 | (†) | 25.9 | (1.04) | 20.7 | (0.96) | 26.0 | (1.04) | 27.5 | (1.06) |
| 1988 | 12.9 | (0.31) | 27.2 | (0.86) | 15.4 | (0.69) | 8.2 | (0.52) | 3.4 | (0.31) | 100.0 | (†) | 52.9 | (1.29) | — | (†) | — | (†) | 100.0 | (†) | 28.9 | (1.17) | 19.3 | (1.02) | 25.1 | (1.12) | 26.8 | (1.14) |
| 1989 | 12.6 | (0.30) | 25.0 | (0.81) | 16.2 | (0.68) | 8.7 | (0.50) | 3.3 | (0.30) | 100.0 | (†) | 53.2 | (1.25) | 13.8 | (0.86) | 33.0 | (1.18) | 100.0 | (†) | 29.4 | (1.14) | 20.8 | (1.02) | 24.9 | (1.08) | 25.0 | (1.09) |
| 1990 | 12.1 | (0.29) | 24.3 | (0.82) | 15.1 | (0.65) | 8.7 | (0.51) | 2.9 | (0.28) | 100.0 | (†) | 52.5 | (1.29) | 13.3 | (0.88) | 34.2 | (1.23) | 100.0 | (†) | 28.6 | (1.17) | 20.9 | (1.05) | 24.4 | (1.11) | 26.1 | (1.14) |
| 1991 | 12.5 | (0.30) | 25.9 | (0.83) | 15.5 | (0.66) | 7.7 | (0.49) | 3.0 | (0.29) | 100.0 | (†) | 47.5 | (1.28) | 15.8 | (0.93) | 36.7 | (1.23) | 100.0 | (†) | 28.6 | (1.15) | 20.5 | (1.03) | 26.1 | (1.12) | 24.9 | (1.10) |
| 19924 | 11.0 | (0.28) | 23.4 | (0.79) | 12.9 | (0.62) | 7.3 | (0.48) | 2.4 | (0.26) | 100.0 | (†) | 47.6 | (1.36) | 15.0 | (0.97) | 37.4 | (1.32) | 100.0 | (†) | 21.6 | (1.12) | 17.5 | (1.04) | 24.4 | (1.17) | 36.5 | (1.31) |
| 19934 | 11.0 | (0.28) | 22.9 | (0.77) | 12.7 | (0.62) | 6.6 | (0.46) | 2.9 | (0.29) | 100.0 | (†) | 48.7 | (1.37) | 12.8 | (0.91) | 38.5 | (1.33) | 100.0 | (†) | 20.5 | (1.10) | 16.6 | (1.02) | 24.1 | (1.17) | 38.8 | (1.33) |
| 19944 | 11.4 | (0.28) | 20.7 | (0.76) | 13.7 | (0.63) | 8.7 | (0.49) | 4.9 | (0.35) | 100.0 | (†) | 49.5 | (1.30) | 13.0 | (0.88) | 37.5 | (1.26) | 100.0 | (†) | 23.9 | (1.11) | 16.2 | (0.96) | 20.3 | (1.05) | 39.6 | (1.28) |
| 19954 | 12.0 | (0.27) | 23.2 | (0.70) | 13.8 | (0.59) | 8.3 | (0.46) | 3.6 | (0.29) | 100.0 | (†) | 48.9 | (1.19) | 14.2 | (0.83) | 37.0 | (1.15) | 100.0 | (†) | 22.2 | (0.99) | 17.0 | (0.89) | 22.5 | (0.99) | 38.3 | (1.16) |
| 19964 | 11.1 | (0.27) | 22.0 | (0.72) | 13.6 | (0.60) | 7.0 | (0.45) | 3.2 | (0.28) | 100.0 | (†) | 47.3 | (1.28) | 15.0 | (0.91) | 37.7 | (1.24) | 100.0 | (†) | 20.3 | (1.03) | 17.7 | (0.98) | 22.6 | (1.07) | 39.4 | (1.25) |
| 19974 | 11.0 | (0.27) | 21.8 | (0.71) | 13.5 | (0.59) | 6.2 | (0.42) | 3.4 | (0.29) | 100.0 | (†) | 53.3 | (1.27) | 13.2 | (0.86) | 33.5 | (1.21) | 100.0 | (†) | 19.9 | (1.02) | 15.7 | (0.93) | 22.3 | (1.06) | 42.1 | (1.26) |
| 19984 | 11.8 | (0.27) | 22.3 | (0.71) | 14.9 | (0.62) | 7.7 | (0.45) | 3.5 | (0.29) | 100.0 | (†) | 55.1 | (1.22) | 10.3 | (0.74) | 34.6 | (1.17) | 100.0 | (†) | 21.0 | (1.00) | 14.9 | (0.87) | 21.4 | (1.00) | 42.6 | (1.21) |
| 19994 | 11.2 | (0.26) | 21.0 | (0.70) | 14.3 | (0.60) | 7.4 | (0.44) | 3.9 | (0.30) | 100.0 | (†) | 55.6 | (1.23) | 10.0 | (0.74) | 34.4 | (1.18) | 100.0 | (†) | 22.2 | (1.03) | 16.3 | (0.92) | 22.5 | (1.04) | 39.0 | (1.21) |
| 20004 | 10.9 | (0.26) | 20.7 | (0.70) | 12.8 | (0.56) | 8.3 | (0.46) | 3.5 | (0.29) | 100.0 | (†) | 56.9 | (1.24) | 12.3 | (0.82) | 30.8 | (1.16) | 100.0 | (†) | 21.5 | (1.03) | 15.3 | (0.90) | 23.1 | (1.06) | 40.0 | (1.23) |
| 20014 | 10.7 | (0.24) | 19.3 | (0.65) | 13.4 | (0.54) | 9.0 | (0.45) | 3.2 | (0.25) | 100.0 | (†) | 58.3 | (1.17) | 14.8 | (0.85) | 26.9 | (1.05) | 100.0 | (†) | 18.4 | (0.92) | 16.8 | (0.89) | 23.8 | (1.01) | 40.9 | (1.17) |
| 20024 | 10.5 | (0.24) | 18.8 | (0.62) | 12.3 | (0.53) | 8.4 | (0.43) | 3.8 | (0.28) | 100.0 | (†) | 57.4 | (1.18) | 13.3 | (0.81) | 29.2 | (1.09) | 100.0 | (†) | 22.8 | (1.00) | 17.1 | (0.90) | 21.3 | (0.98) | 38.9 | (1.17) |
| 20034 | 9.9 | (0.23) | 19.5 | (0.64) | 10.8 | (0.49) | 7.3 | (0.40) | 3.4 | (0.26) | 100.0 | (†) | 53.5 | (1.22) | 13.7 | (0.84) | 32.9 | (1.15) | 100.0 | (†) | 21.2 | (1.00) | 18.2 | (0.94) | 20.7 | (0.99) | 40.0 | (1.20) |
| 20044 | 10.3 | (0.23) | 18.0 | (0.60) | 12.7 | (0.52) | 8.2 | (0.42) | 3.7 | (0.27) | 100.0 | (†) | 53.0 | (1.19) | 14.3 | (0.83) | 32.7 | (1.12) | 100.0 | (†) | 21.4 | (0.97) | 15.9 | (0.87) | 22.5 | (0.99) | 40.3 | (1.17) |
| 20054 | 9.4 | (0.22) | 17.9 | (0.60) | 11.5 | (0.51) | 7.1 | (0.39) | 2.7 | (0.23) | 100.0 | (†) | 56.9 | (1.23) | 11.9 | (0.80) | 31.2 | (1.15) | 100.0 | (†) | 18.9 | (0.97) | 16.8 | (0.93) | 21.4 | (1.02) | 42.9 | (1.23) |
| 20064 | 9.3 | (0.22) | 16.5 | (0.58) | 12.1 | (0.51) | 6.3 | (0.37) | 3.8 | (0.27) | 100.0 | (†) | 56.4 | (1.23) | 11.7 | (0.80) | 32.0 | (1.16) | 100.0 | (†) | 22.1 | (1.03) | 13.4 | (0.85) | 20.7 | (1.01) | 43.9 | (1.23) |
| 20074 | 8.7 | (0.21) | 16.7 | (0.59) | 10.5 | (0.48) | 6.4 | (0.36) | 3.2 | (0.25) | 100.0 | (†) | 55.5 | (1.27) | 11.2 | (0.80) | 33.3 | (1.20) | 100.0 | (†) | 21.2 | (1.04) | 16.9 | (0.96) | 22.9 | (1.07) | 39.0 | (1.24) |
| 20084 | 8.0 | (0.20) | 16.4 | (0.58) | 9.4 | (0.45) | 5.4 | (0.34) | 2.2 | (0.21) | 100.0 | (†) | 46.8 | (1.33) | 16.3 | (0.98) | 36.9 | (1.28) | 100.0 | (†) | 18.4 | (1.03) | 15.2 | (0.96) | 23.8 | (1.13) | 42.6 | (1.32) |
| 20094 | 8.1 | (0.20) | 15.8 | (0.57) | 9.7 | (0.45) | 5.4 | (0.34) | 2.5 | (0.22) | 100.0 | (†) | 43.2 | (1.31) | 19.9 | (1.06) | 36.9 | (1.28) | 100.0 | (†) | 17.7 | (1.01) | 13.6 | (0.91) | 24.4 | (1.14) | 44.3 | (1.32) |
| 20104,5 | 7.4 | (0.27) | 13.8 | (0.83) | 8.9 | (0.54) | 5.1 | (0.48) | 2.5 | (0.31) | 100.0 | (†) | 45.8 | (1.64) | 18.7 | (1.38) | 35.5 | (1.70) | 100.0 | (†) | 19.2 | (1.48) | 13.1 | (1.07) | 22.5 | (1.59) | 45.2 | (1.89) |
| 20114,5 | 7.1 | (0.26) | 13.0 | (0.73) | 9.0 | (0.53) | 4.8 | (0.45) | 2.3 | (0.32) | 100.0 | (†) | 49.8 | (1.77) | 16.0 | (1.33) | 34.2 | (1.69) | 100.0 | (†) | 18.1 | (1.72) | 12.9 | (1.15) | 21.2 | (1.39) | 47.7 | (1.87) |
| 20124,5 | 6.6 | (0.25) | 11.8 | (0.70) | 8.7 | (0.65) | 4.1 | (0.44) | 1.9 | (0.31) | 100.0 | (†) | 44.8 | (2.07) | 18.1 | (1.49) | 37.1 | (1.83) | 100.0 | (†) | 18.3 | (1.76) | 10.2 | (1.21) | 21.9 | (1.57) | 49.6 | (2.20) |
| 20134,5 | 6.8 | (0.28) | 10.7 | (0.73) | 8.8 | (0.67) | 5.0 | (0.44) | 3.2 | (0.36) | 100.0 | (†) | 41.1 | (2.01) | 16.8 | (1.58) | 42.1 | (1.84) | 100.0 | (†) | 18.3 | (1.70) | 13.3 | (1.34) | 21.1 | (1.63) | 47.4 | (2.31) |
| 20144,5 | 6.5 | (0.25) | 11.6 | (0.68) | 7.6 | (0.57) | 4.7 | (0.43) | 2.8 | (0.31) | 100.0 | (†) | 44.7 | (1.84) | 17.0 | (1.41) | 38.3 | (1.61) | 100.0 | (†) | 15.0 | (1.58) | 13.7 | (1.28) | 21.3 | (1.56) | 50.0 | (1.94) |
| 20154,5 | 5.9 | (0.26) | 9.9 | (0.69) | 7.4 | (0.60) | 4.3 | (0.39) | 2.4 | (0.31) | 100.0 | (†) | 41.7 | (2.10) | 14.2 | (1.48) | 44.1 | (2.10) | 100.0 | (†) | 14.5 | (1.67) | 13.9 | (1.40) | 21.3 | (1.65) | 50.2 | (2.00) |
| 20164,5 | 6.1 | (0.27) | 9.7 | (0.69) | 7.3 | (0.55) | 5.4 | (0.50) | 2.6 | (0.28) | 100.0 | (†) | 46.6 | (1.99) | 13.9 | (1.31) | 39.6 | (1.90) | 100.0 | (†) | 17.6 | (1.91) | 10.8 | (1.14) | 21.9 | (1.64) | 49.7 | (2.22) |
| —Not available. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| †Not applicable. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 Lowest quarter refers to the bottom 25 percent of all family incomes; middle low quarter refers to the 26th through the 50th percentile of all family incomes; middle high quarter refers to the 51st through the 75th percentile of all family incomes; and highest quarter refers to the top 25 percent of all family incomes. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 Data are not comparable to employment and unemployment rate data produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, because the percentage distributions presented here include persons who are not in the labor force. The labor force consists of those who are employed and those who are unemployed (i.e., seeking employment); persons who are neither employed nor seeking employment are not in the labor force. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 Includes persons who were employed but not at work during the survey week. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 Because of changes in data collection procedures, data may not be comparable with figures for years prior to 1992. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 Beginning in 2010, standard errors were computed using replicate weights, which produced more precise values than the generalized variance function methodology used in prior years. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NOTE: "Status" dropouts are 16- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in school and who have not completed a high school program, regardless of when they left school. People who have received GED credentials are counted as high school completers. Data are based on sample surveys of the civilian noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons in the military and persons living in institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities). Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October, 1970 through 2016. (This table was prepared September 2017.) |
