Table 219.76.

Population 16 to 24 years old and number of 16- to 24-year-old high school dropouts (status dropouts), by labor force status and years of school completed: 1970 through 2021

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Year	Total population 16 to 24 years old (in thousands)		Number of 16- to 24-year-old dropouts (status dropouts) (in thousands)
			Total status dropouts		By labor force status						By years of school completed
					In labor force				Not in labor force		Less than 9 years		9 years		10 years		11 or 12 years
					Employed1		Unemployed
1	2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10
1970	30,251	(260.7)	4,525	(90.1)	2,254	(76.7)	466	(35.2)	1,805	(53.1)	1,292	(58.5)	933	(49.7)	1,212	(56.6)	1,087	(53.7)
1971	31,538	(265.1)	4,641	(91.4)	2,299	(77.4)	505	(36.6)	1,837	(53.6)	1,295	(58.5)	1,006	(51.6)	1,288	(58.4)	1,051	(52.8)
1972	32,643	(268.8)	4,770	(92.7)	2,442	(79.7)	488	(36.0)	1,840	(53.6)	1,310	(58.8)	994	(51.3)	1,383	(60.5)	1,084	(53.6)
1973	33,430	(271.4)	4,716	(92.4)	2,511	(80.9)	436	(34.0)	1,769	(52.6)	1,248	(57.5)	985	(51.1)	1,292	(58.5)	1,191	(56.1)
1974	33,968	(273.1)	4,849	(93.6)	2,514	(80.9)	595	(39.7)	1,741	(52.2)	1,234	(57.1)	975	(50.8)	1,390	(60.6)	1,251	(57.5)
1975	34,700	(275.4)	4,824	(93.6)	2,220	(76.1)	751	(44.6)	1,853	(53.8)	1,134	(54.8)	1,018	(51.9)	1,329	(59.3)	1,344	(59.6)
1976	35,222	(277.0)	4,981	(95.0)	2,432	(79.6)	795	(45.9)	1,754	(52.4)	1,213	(56.6)	999	(51.4)	1,385	(60.5)	1,384	(60.5)
1977	35,658	(278.3)	5,031	(95.5)	2,660	(83.2)	682	(42.5)	1,689	(51.4)	1,224	(56.9)	1,093	(53.8)	1,374	(60.3)	1,340	(59.5)
1978	35,931	(279.1)	5,114	(96.2)	2,776	(85.0)	635	(41.1)	1,702	(51.6)	1,171	(55.7)	1,030	(52.2)	1,442	(61.7)	1,471	(62.3)
1979	36,131	(279.7)	5,265	(97.4)	2,843	(86.0)	668	(42.1)	1,753	(52.3)	1,191	(56.1)	1,107	(54.1)	1,505	(63.1)	1,461	(62.1)
1980	36,143	(279.7)	5,085	(96.0)	2,563	(81.7)	865	(47.9)	1,657	(50.9)	1,199	(56.3)	1,000	(51.5)	1,515	(63.3)	1,371	(60.2)
1981	36,945	(282.1)	5,143	(96.6)	2,559	(81.6)	943	(50.0)	1,641	(50.7)	1,250	(57.5)	956	(50.3)	1,554	(64.1)	1,382	(60.5)
1982	36,452	(296.5)	5,055	(101.5)	2,285	(81.5)	1,067	(56.1)	1,704	(54.5)	1,155	(58.4)	1,053	(55.8)	1,454	(65.5)	1,393	(64.1)
1983	35,884	(294.7)	4,905	(100.1)	2,375	(83.1)	890	(51.3)	1,640	(53.5)	1,130	(57.8)	947	(52.9)	1,414	(64.6)	1,414	(64.6)
1984	35,204	(292.6)	4,626	(97.5)	2,301	(81.8)	802	(48.7)	1,524	(51.6)	1,091	(56.8)	991	(54.1)	1,274	(61.3)	1,270	(61.2)
1985	34,382	(289.9)	4,324	(94.6)	2,165	(79.4)	756	(47.3)	1,403	(49.5)	1,032	(55.2)	910	(51.9)	1,205	(59.7)	1,178	(59.0)
1986	33,945	(288.4)	4,142	(92.7)	2,117	(78.5)	678	(44.8)	1,347	(48.5)	1,052	(55.8)	893	(51.4)	1,063	(56.1)	1,135	(57.9)
1987	33,452	(286.8)	4,230	(93.5)	2,218	(80.4)	574	(41.2)	1,439	(50.1)	1,094	(56.9)	874	(50.8)	1,099	(57.0)	1,163	(58.6)
1988	32,893	(310.4)	4,232	(101.8)	2,238	(88.0)	1,370	(69.3)	624	(36.1)	1,221	(65.4)	815	(53.5)	1,063	(61.1)	1,133	(63.1)
1989	32,007	(291.9)	4,038	(94.6)	2,150	(82.0)	557	(42.1)	1,331	(50.0)	1,186	(61.3)	838	(51.6)	1,003	(56.4)	1,011	(56.6)
1990	31,443	(289.8)	3,797	(92.0)	1,992	(78.9)	506	(40.1)	1,299	(49.4)	1,087	(58.7)	792	(50.1)	926	(54.2)	992	(56.1)
1991	31,171	(288.8)	3,881	(92.8)	1,844	(76.0)	612	(44.1)	1,424	(51.7)	1,108	(59.3)	795	(50.3)	1,012	(56.7)	965	(55.3)
19922	30,944	(287.9)	3,410	(87.7)	1,623	(71.3)	511	(40.3)	1,277	(48.9)	736	(48.3)	598	(43.6)	833	(51.4)	1,243	(62.8)
19932	30,845	(287.5)	3,396	(87.5)	1,653	(72.0)	435	(37.2)	1,308	(49.5)	697	(47.0)	564	(42.3)	819	(51.0)	1,316	(64.6)
19942	32,560	(293.9)	3,727	(91.5)	1,845	(76.0)	485	(39.3)	1,397	(51.2)	892	(53.2)	604	(43.8)	755	(49.0)	1,474	(68.3)
19952	32,379	(293.2)	3,876	(86.5)	1,894	(77.0)	549	(41.8)	1,433	(51.8)	861	(52.3)	659	(45.8)	872	(52.6)	1,484	(68.5)
19962	32,452	(304.7)	3,611	(87.1)	1,709	(76.0)	541	(43.1)	1,360	(52.4)	735	(50.1)	639	(46.8)	814	(52.8)	1,423	(69.7)
19972	32,960	(306.6)	3,624	(87.3)	1,933	(80.7)	478	(40.5)	1,214	(49.5)	721	(49.7)	567	(44.1)	809	(52.6)	1,527	(72.2)
19982	33,445	(308.3)	3,942	(90.7)	2,174	(85.6)	405	(37.3)	1,363	(52.5)	829	(53.3)	589	(44.9)	843	(53.7)	1,681	(75.7)
19992	34,169	(310.9)	3,829	(89.7)	2,129	(84.7)	382	(36.2)	1,318	(51.6)	851	(54.0)	623	(46.2)	861	(54.3)	1,494	(71.4)
20002	34,568	(312.4)	3,776	(89.2)	2,149	(85.1)	463	(39.8)	1,163	(48.5)	814	(52.8)	578	(44.5)	873	(54.7)	1,511	(71.8)
20012	35,167	(298.5)	3,766	(84.6)	2,195	(81.6)	559	(41.5)	1,011	(42.9)	694	(46.3)	634	(44.2)	897	(52.6)	1,540	(68.8)
20022	35,495	(299.6)	3,721	(84.2)	2,136	(80.5)	496	(39.1)	1,088	(44.4)	849	(51.1)	636	(44.3)	791	(49.4)	1,445	(66.6)
20032	36,017	(301.3)	3,552	(82.6)	1,899	(75.9)	486	(38.7)	1,167	(46.0)	752	(48.2)	646	(44.6)	734	(47.6)	1,420	(66.1)
20042	36,504	(302.8)	3,766	(84.8)	1,996	(77.8)	539	(40.8)	1,231	(47.3)	804	(49.8)	599	(43.0)	846	(51.1)	1,516	(68.2)
20052	36,761	(303.6)	3,458	(81.7)	1,968	(77.3)	410	(35.6)	1,080	(44.4)	652	(44.8)	582	(42.4)	740	(47.8)	1,483	(67.5)
20062	37,047	(304.5)	3,462	(81.8)	1,951	(77.0)	404	(35.3)	1,107	(44.9)	764	(48.5)	464	(37.9)	716	(47.0)	1,518	(68.3)
20072	37,480	(305.9)	3,278	(79.8)	1,819	(74.3)	367	(33.7)	1,092	(44.6)	695	(46.3)	555	(41.4)	750	(48.1)	1,278	(62.7)
20082	37,569	(306.2)	3,010	(76.8)	1,410	(65.5)	491	(38.9)	1,109	(45.0)	552	(41.3)	459	(37.6)	716	(47.0)	1,283	(62.8)
20092	37,616	(306.3)	3,030	(77.0)	1,308	(63.1)	603	(43.1)	1,119	(45.2)	537	(40.7)	413	(35.7)	738	(47.7)	1,342	(64.2)
20102	37,949	(#)	2,816	(100.8)	1,290	(69.8)	527	(38.4)	999	(62.1)	542	(49.7)	368	(31.2)	634	(44.8)	1,272	(74.3)
20112	38,205	(133.8)	2,714	(99.1)	1,351	(71.1)	436	(39.2)	927	(55.3)	492	(52.8)	350	(34.0)	576	(41.3)	1,295	(65.8)
20122	38,800	(306.3)	2,562	(101.1)	1,148	(69.5)	464	(44.6)	950	(56.2)	468	(50.5)	262	(33.7)	561	(42.4)	1,271	(74.4)
20132	38,804	(210.7)	2,622	(109.3)	1,079	(71.8)	441	(43.7)	1,103	(65.9)	480	(50.0)	348	(39.5)	552	(47.1)	1,242	(76.8)
20142	38,650	(67.1)	2,527	(94.9)	1,129	(62.8)	430	(39.3)	968	(54.6)	378	(43.6)	347	(36.8)	538	(45.7)	1,264	(59.5)
20152	38,491	(66.4)	2,254	(99.1)	940	(58.3)	320	(37.5)	994	(66.5)	327	(42.4)	314	(32.4)	481	(43.1)	1,132	(65.2)
20162	38,367	(57.6)	2,334	(102.8)	1,087	(67.3)	324	(33.9)	924	(58.6)	412	(52.1)	252	(27.6)	511	(41.3)	1,160	(71.6)
20172	38,079	(96.2)	2,198	(101.5)	1,027	(65.2)	183	(24.7)	988	(62.6)	461	(53.9)	215	(26.4)	446	(45.1)	1,077	(70.1)
20182	37,962	(138.6)	2,164	(102.0)	1,097	(67.0)	184	(28.4)	884	(61.5)	369	(48.8)	224	(29.2)	446	(42.8)	1,125	(69.3)
20192	37,734	(85.6)	1,970	(87.3)	992	(68.5)	170	(30.4)	808	(55.3)	371	(51.2)	236	(33.6)	441	(42.5)	922	(57.6)
20202	37,468	(158.2)	1,980	(109.5)	1,038	(77.5)	123	(22.8)	819	(58.1)	419	(66.0)	199	(28.9)	408	(46.6)	954	(59.9)
20212	37,222	(485.2)	1,914	(113.7)	947	(70.8)	182	(28.7)	786	(62.6)	339	(51.5)	189	(25.8)	398	(46.4)	988	(73.6)

#Rounds to zero.

1Includes persons who were employed but not at work during the survey week.

2Because of changes in data collection procedures, data may not be comparable with figures for years prior to 1992.

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 equivalency credentials, such as the GED, 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). Prior to 2010, standard errors were computed using generalized variance function methodology rather than the more precise replicate weight methodology used in later years. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October, 1970 through 2021. (This table was prepared September 2022.)