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Digest of Education Statistics
2021 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 501.30. Percentage and number of persons 18 to 24 years old who were neither enrolled in school nor working, by age group, high school completion status, sex, and race/ethnicity: 2010 through 2021
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Age group, high school completion status, sex, and race/ethnicity Percent who were neither enrolled in school nor working 2021
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Number (in thousands) Percent who were neither enrolled in school nor working
Total Neither enrolled in school nor working
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
18 to 24 years old,
    all persons
19.2   (0.40) 17.9   (0.34) 16.8   (0.36) 17.3   (0.40) 17.1   (0.43) 16.2   (0.34) 15.4   (0.36) 13.3   (0.33) 13.4   (0.34) 12.9   (0.31) 14.7   (0.40) 28,838   (104.5) 4,737   (121.9) 16.4   (0.41)
Male 18.6   (0.54) 17.4   (0.48) 15.7   (0.49) 16.6   (0.51) 16.0   (0.61) 15.0   (0.48) 14.7   (0.51) 12.6   (0.46) 12.8   (0.50) 12.4   (0.45) 14.9   (0.56) 14,543   (73.4) 2,421   (82.3) 16.7   (0.55)
Female 19.8   (0.54) 18.4   (0.48) 17.9   (0.52) 17.9   (0.54) 18.1   (0.57) 17.4   (0.47) 16.2   (0.48) 14.1   (0.47) 14.1   (0.50) 13.4   (0.46) 14.6   (0.59) 14,295   (73.8) 2,316   (85.6) 16.2   (0.58)

White
15.5   (0.45) 15.2   (0.50) 13.5   (0.41) 14.3   (0.50) 14.4   (0.56) 13.7   (0.46) 12.7   (0.47) 11.4   (0.41) 10.9   (0.39) 10.8   (0.47) 12.0   (0.46) 15,275   (85.6) 2,252   (81.0) 14.7   (0.51)
Black 28.8   (1.21) 24.1   (1.06) 24.2   (1.09) 24.4   (1.12) 25.7   (1.40) 21.9   (0.95) 22.6   (1.11) 18.6   (1.00) 19.3   (1.15) 17.7   (1.08) 23.9   (1.19) 3,889   (47.3) 901   (50.7) 23.2   (1.27)
Hispanic 24.4   (0.75) 22.7   (0.69) 21.2   (0.76) 20.8   (0.75) 19.3   (0.95) 20.0   (0.76) 18.2   (0.75) 15.6   (0.59) 15.8   (0.71) 15.0   (0.63) 16.7   (0.81) 6,856   (45.4) 1,223   (55.7) 17.8   (0.81)
Asian 13.8   (1.43) 10.4   (1.30) 11.7   (1.27) 10.6   (1.07) 10.7   (1.56) 8.1   (0.99) 10.7   (1.24) 8.2   (1.06) 9.8   (1.19) 8.1   (1.15) 10.3   (1.06) 1,607   (39.0) 157   (20.3) 9.8   (1.25)
Pacific Islander 22.2   (5.16) 13.2   (3.91) 18.8   (4.99) 18.4   (4.68) 8.9 ! (3.87) 18.2   (4.59) 15.9   (4.71) 12.7 ! (3.96) 31.0 ! (9.48) 9.5 ! (3.99)   (†) 135   (23.0)   (†) 21.8   (5.62)
American Indian/Alaska Native 35.9   (3.10) 31.3   (6.23) 36.5   (4.74) 44.4   (4.90) 34.2   (5.61) 32.9   (4.02) 25.9   (3.24) 25.1   (3.33) 28.5   (4.26) 31.5   (4.44) 24.3   (4.28) 262   (29.3) 81   (14.2) 30.7   (4.11)
Two or more races 18.8   (2.53) 19.2   (2.19) 16.9   (2.19) 16.1   (2.20) 14.0   (2.34) 14.6   (2.04) 16.6   (2.23) 13.4   (2.30) 15.0   (2.04) 16.9   (2.10) 11.4   (2.16) 813   (43.3) 94   (14.8) 11.5   (1.77)

Race/ethnicity by sex
                                                                                   
Male                                                                                    
White 15.2   (0.65) 15.0   (0.73) 12.1   (0.55) 13.7   (0.67) 13.5   (0.76) 13.0   (0.67) 12.2   (0.67) 10.8   (0.56) 10.7   (0.61) 10.7   (0.60) 12.5   (0.75) 7,805   (59.7) 1,177   (56.6) 15.1   (0.72)
Black 31.2   (1.62) 26.6   (1.43) 26.1   (1.42) 29.5   (1.62) 29.0   (2.01) 22.8   (1.51) 23.7   (1.49) 20.3   (1.47) 20.3   (1.71) 18.7   (1.56) 24.0   (1.81) 1,886   (31.9) 447   (34.8) 23.7   (1.77)
Hispanic 20.3   (0.95) 19.1   (0.98) 19.8   (1.05) 16.2   (1.00) 16.1   (1.13) 16.1   (0.92) 15.4   (1.03) 13.2   (0.84) 13.4   (0.93) 13.5   (0.90) 16.0   (1.06) 3,476   (36.1) 613   (42.8) 17.6   (1.20)
Asian 11.4   (1.59) 9.5   (1.85) 8.9   (1.72) 10.2   (1.55) 10.1   (2.06) 6.5   (1.22) 8.5   (1.25) 8.9   (1.54) 7.1   (1.45) 4.9   (1.26) 8.5   (1.39) 772   (24.6) 77   (13.8) 9.9   (1.76)
Pacific Islander 27.9 ! (8.86)   (†) 20.2 ! (7.82) 24.7 ! (7.67)   (†) 17.6 ! (6.61) 19.8 ! (8.28)   (†) 39.3 ! (13.09) 14.6 ! (6.80)   (†) 74   (13.9)   (†)   (†)
American Indian/Alaska Native 45.7   (5.58) 32.5   (5.64) 33.2   (7.55) 42.9   (6.60) 20.8   (6.01) 35.8   (5.61) 29.6   (4.63) 26.0   (4.36) 28.6   (6.54) 29.5   (5.74) 37.5   (6.15) 137   (19.0) 40   (9.1) 29.3   (5.79)
Two or more races 23.2   (3.89) 18.3   (2.64) 14.3   (2.57) 15.4   (3.00) 14.1   (3.40) 17.1   (2.94) 17.1   (3.26) 9.1   (2.69) 17.6   (3.06) 18.8   (3.34) 15.2   (3.17) 392   (24.5) 54   (12.2) 13.9   (3.03)
Female                                                                                    
White 15.8   (0.62) 15.3   (0.66) 15.0   (0.65) 14.9   (0.64) 15.4   (0.82) 14.5   (0.65) 13.1   (0.63) 12.0   (0.61) 11.1   (0.59) 11.0   (0.67) 11.5   (0.69) 7,470   (59.8) 1,074   (55.7) 14.4   (0.72)
Black 26.6   (1.54) 21.9   (1.44) 22.4   (1.33) 19.6   (1.60) 22.8   (1.78) 21.0   (1.40) 21.4   (1.62) 16.9   (1.39) 18.2   (1.50) 16.8   (1.68) 23.8   (1.83) 2,004   (34.0) 454   (32.2) 22.7   (1.62)
Hispanic 28.8   (1.19) 27.0   (1.05) 22.8   (1.20) 25.5   (1.08) 22.7   (1.39) 24.1   (1.12) 21.0   (1.02) 18.1   (0.99) 18.2   (1.14) 16.5   (0.96) 17.5   (1.12) 3,379   (31.5) 610   (40.5) 18.1   (1.19)
Asian 16.4   (2.54) 11.3   (1.68) 14.6   (1.91) 11.0   (1.64) 11.4   (2.15) 9.7   (1.50) 12.8   (2.01) 7.4   (1.23) 12.5   (1.72) 11.4   (1.79) 12.0   (1.74) 835   (24.4) 80   (13.7) 9.6   (1.63)
Pacific Islander 16.8 ! (5.27) 16.1 ! (6.32) 17.6   (5.25) 12.6 ! (4.56)   (†) 18.7 ! (6.84) 12.1 ! (4.65) 19.2   (5.58) 21.3 ! (7.88)   (†)   (†) 62   (13.6)   (†) 26.7 ! (9.52)
American Indian/Alaska Native 25.5   (4.46) 30.2 ! (10.59) 40.0   (6.11) 46.0   (6.22) 48.8   (8.55) 29.7   (5.30) 22.7   (4.46) 24.2   (4.42) 28.4   (5.20) 33.8   (6.44) 12.3 ! (3.87) 125   (17.2)   (†) 32.3   (6.18)
Two or more races 15.0   (2.82) 20.2   (3.46) 19.4   (3.69) 16.7   (3.13) 13.9   (2.92) 12.4   (2.82) 16.1   (3.08) 17.9   (3.53) 12.4   (2.60) 15.3   (2.68) 7.5 ! (2.56) 420   (29.9)   (†) 9.3   (2.14)

18 and 19 years old, all persons
14.9   (0.55) 13.0   (0.53) 12.6   (0.51) 13.2   (0.56) 12.2   (0.66) 12.9   (0.54) 12.1   (0.63) 10.6   (0.54) 11.1   (0.54) 10.3   (0.53) 11.8   (0.62) 7,816   (100.4) 1,051   (49.9) 13.4   (0.60)

20 to 24 years old, all persons
20.8   (0.49) 19.7   (0.41) 18.4   (0.45) 18.7   (0.48) 18.8   (0.54) 17.3   (0.44) 16.6   (0.40) 14.3   (0.40) 14.3   (0.38) 13.8   (0.37) 15.8   (0.49) 21,022   (29.0) 3,686   (102.6) 17.5   (0.49)
Male 19.6   (0.68) 18.9   (0.60) 16.8   (0.63) 17.8   (0.62) 17.2   (0.73) 15.5   (0.65) 15.5   (0.62) 13.4   (0.58) 13.4   (0.58) 12.7   (0.55) 15.6   (0.68) 10,570   (28.2) 1,811   (66.1) 17.1   (0.63)
Female 22.1   (0.65) 20.6   (0.59) 20.1   (0.63) 19.6   (0.65) 20.4   (0.74) 19.2   (0.58) 17.7   (0.57) 15.3   (0.56) 15.3   (0.58) 15.0   (0.56) 16.0   (0.72) 10,452   (6.5) 1,875   (74.5) 17.9   (0.71)

White
16.6   (0.57) 16.9   (0.62) 14.6   (0.54) 15.3   (0.58) 15.7   (0.72) 14.7   (0.60) 13.3   (0.55) 12.1   (0.52) 11.3   (0.47) 11.3   (0.56) 12.9   (0.57) 11,230   (41.7) 1,777   (73.1) 15.8   (0.65)
Black 32.0   (1.51) 26.4   (1.29) 27.5   (1.33) 26.9   (1.50) 29.4   (1.63) 23.2   (1.20) 25.7   (1.36) 19.3   (1.24) 20.4   (1.44) 19.3   (1.26) 25.7   (1.48) 2,877   (24.5) 717   (43.5) 24.9   (1.51)
Hispanic 26.9   (0.92) 25.0   (0.86) 23.1   (0.94) 22.7   (0.87) 20.7   (1.09) 21.5   (0.91) 19.5   (0.86) 17.1   (0.72) 17.4   (0.81) 16.3   (0.74) 17.7   (1.05) 4,843   (7.6) 901   (46.3) 18.6   (0.95)
Asian 15.1   (1.67) 11.0   (1.51) 13.3   (1.60) 11.4   (1.33) 13.1   (2.07) 9.1   (1.21) 12.4   (1.51) 9.5   (1.33) 11.4   (1.46) 9.6   (1.39) 11.4   (1.35) 1,219   (34.9) 141   (19.3) 11.6   (1.53)
Pacific Islander 27.6   (7.19) 13.1 ! (4.79) 18.0 ! (5.42) 20.9   (5.83)   (†) 22.1   (6.00) 18.3 ! (6.28) 16.8   (4.62) 37.1   (10.43) 12.0 ! (5.62)   (†) 92   (19.1)   (†) 23.9   (7.06)
American Indian/Alaska Native 39.0   (4.67) 33.6   (6.80) 39.2   (5.71) 48.7   (5.60) 37.8   (6.54) 38.4   (5.05) 30.7   (3.93) 30.4   (4.10) 27.9   (4.30) 32.9   (5.12) 27.9   (5.33) 199   (24.1) 62   (12.2) 31.2   (4.71)
Two or more races 21.2   (3.06) 21.5   (2.77) 18.4   (2.68) 18.5   (2.76) 15.4   (2.84) 16.6   (2.57) 14.5   (2.66) 15.1   (2.96) 16.5   (2.49) 19.8   (2.62) 13.4   (2.88) 561   (32.6) 65   (12.1) 11.5   (2.11)

Has completed high school,1 
    all persons
17.4   (0.47) 16.9   (0.42) 15.4   (0.42) 15.9   (0.48) 16.4   (0.53) 15.1   (0.42) 14.3   (0.39) 12.6   (0.39) 12.3   (0.38) 12.3   (0.36) 14.0   (0.46) 19,608   (69.9) 3,162   (95.3) 16.1   (0.49)
Male 16.6   (0.67) 16.7   (0.61) 14.1   (0.59) 15.6   (0.63) 15.3   (0.72) 13.8   (0.62) 13.4   (0.60) 11.9   (0.57) 11.8   (0.60) 11.2   (0.54) 13.8   (0.65) 9,821   (49.9) 1,579   (65.8) 16.1   (0.68)
Female 18.2   (0.60) 17.1   (0.60) 16.7   (0.63) 16.2   (0.61) 17.5   (0.74) 16.4   (0.58) 15.2   (0.54) 13.2   (0.57) 12.9   (0.54) 13.3   (0.53) 14.3   (0.69) 9,787   (43.1) 1,583   (68.7) 16.2   (0.70)

White
14.2   (0.58) 15.2   (0.61) 12.5   (0.51) 13.3   (0.56) 14.1   (0.68) 13.0   (0.59) 11.5   (0.50) 10.9   (0.51) 9.8   (0.47) 10.2   (0.53) 11.3   (0.52) 10,620   (62.8) 1,521   (67.3) 14.3   (0.64)
Black 26.4   (1.44) 22.1   (1.31) 23.7   (1.36) 23.0   (1.36) 25.7   (1.64) 20.6   (1.25) 22.9   (1.35) 16.7   (1.23) 17.9   (1.38) 18.3   (1.26) 24.1   (1.56) 2,683   (36.5) 639   (40.6) 23.8   (1.46)
Hispanic 22.4   (0.93) 20.7   (1.02) 18.8   (1.01) 19.1   (0.98) 17.4   (1.11) 18.3   (0.88) 16.7   (0.81) 15.2   (0.73) 15.2   (0.81) 13.6   (0.68) 15.5   (1.00) 4,339   (40.1) 746   (42.4) 17.2   (0.97)
Asian 14.7   (1.70) 9.4   (1.55) 12.0   (1.53) 10.7   (1.26) 12.3   (2.06) 8.2   (1.18) 11.4   (1.44) 8.1   (1.18) 10.5   (1.51) 8.4   (1.37) 10.1   (1.39) 1,185   (35.4) 132   (18.2) 11.2   (1.49)
Pacific Islander 24.9   (7.05) 11.2 ! (4.75) 16.1 ! (5.38) 21.7   (6.16)   (†) 20.2   (5.90) 17.1 ! (6.35) 14.5 ! (4.53) 36.3   (10.63) 6.7 ! (3.10)   (†) 76   (16.2)   (†) 22.1 ! (7.89)
American Indian/Alaska Native 30.1   (4.57) 29.5   (8.17) 33.7   (5.95) 40.2   (6.33) 35.5   (6.46) 34.7   (5.50) 24.2   (3.97) 23.0   (4.24) 21.5   (4.11) 32.7   (5.84) 24.6   (5.27) 174   (22.6) 47   (10.0) 26.8   (4.51)
Two or more races 19.5   (3.11) 19.2   (2.80) 15.2   (2.47) 15.7   (2.65) 13.5   (2.51) 15.2   (2.43) 13.4   (2.61) 12.5   (2.74) 13.6   (2.25) 18.4   (2.69) 12.5   (2.87) 529   (32.5) 60   (11.7) 11.4   (2.18)

Has not completed high school,
    all persons
48.8   (1.44) 43.6   (1.49) 45.0   (1.80) 45.5   (1.76) 45.8   (2.42) 41.2   (1.91) 42.4   (1.97) 37.1   (2.00) 39.4   (1.89) 36.0   (2.26) 43.3   (2.57) 1,414   (64.8) 524   (40.1) 37.1   (2.31)
Male 41.6   (1.89) 35.3   (2.04) 37.8   (2.17) 36.8   (2.35) 35.1   (2.93) 32.9   (2.46) 36.5   (2.56) 29.3   (2.51) 31.8   (2.68) 30.8   (3.04) 40.5   (3.53) 749   (43.0) 232   (26.5) 31.0   (3.04)
Female 58.0   (2.35) 54.3   (2.21) 54.1   (2.77) 56.8   (2.49) 61.0   (3.44) 50.4   (2.99) 50.1   (2.75) 47.5   (2.84) 48.3   (3.02) 43.5   (3.70) 46.8   (3.74) 665   (43.0) 292   (28.8) 43.9   (3.35)

White
48.4   (2.40) 43.1   (2.80) 43.6   (2.93) 48.1   (2.83) 49.9   (4.16) 43.3   (3.66) 44.2   (3.59) 35.8   (3.52) 40.2   (3.31) 38.8   (4.32) 45.2   (4.26) 610   (49.0) 256   (31.8) 42.1   (4.13)
Black 65.2   (3.66) 55.5   (3.68) 57.6   (4.42) 58.4   (4.68) 61.6   (4.91) 48.0   (4.29) 48.6   (4.91) 47.2   (4.97) 48.5   (6.16) 30.9   (5.00) 46.6   (6.23) 194   (26.1)   (†) 40.6   (7.57)
Hispanic 41.5   (2.14) 39.8   (2.20) 40.6   (2.51) 37.6   (2.45) 36.6   (3.24) 36.9   (2.54) 36.6   (2.97) 31.0   (2.72) 33.0   (3.20) 35.2   (3.40) 38.9   (4.17) 504   (39.6) 155   (20.5) 30.8   (3.15)
Asian 23.9 ! (8.35) 32.7   (9.57) 37.3   (9.60) 25.0 ! (9.38)   (†)   (†)   (†) 38.5 ! (12.17)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)
Pacific Islander   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)
American Indian/Alaska Native 84.3   (8.79) 51.6   (13.01) 70.3   (11.72)   (†)   (†) 61.6   (11.93) 58.7   (9.92)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)
Two or more races   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)
†Not applicable.
!Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.
‡Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.
1 Includes completion of high school through equivalency programs, such as a GED program.
NOTE: Data are based on sample surveys of the noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons living in institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities); data include military personnel who live in households with civilians but exclude those who live in military barracks. Caution should be used when comparing 2020 and 2021 estimates to those of prior years due to the impact that the coronavirus pandemic had on interviewing and response rates. For additional information about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Current Population Survey data collection, please see https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cps/techdocs/cpsmar21.pdf. The data source for this table changed from the American Community Survey to the Current Population Survey for Digest 2021. Comparison should not be made with prior versions of the table. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 2010 through 2021. (This table was prepared January 2022.)

2021 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest