America's Youth at 20: School Enrollment, Training, and Employment Transitions between Ages 19 and 20 Technical Note
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Technical Note
The estimates in this release were obtained using data from the first
nine rounds of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97).
The NLSY97 collects extensive information on youths’ labor market behavior
and educational experiences. Information about respondents’ families and
communities also is obtained in the survey.
This survey is conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at
the University of Chicago and the Center for Human Resource Research at The
Ohio State University, under the direction and sponsorship of the Bureau of
Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. Partial funding support
for the survey has been provided by the Office of Juvenile Justice and De-
linquency Prevention of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office of Voca-
tional and Adult Education of the U.S Department of Education, the U.S.
Department of Defense, the National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the
National Science Foundation.
Sample
The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 is a nationally repre-
sentative sample of 8,984 young men and women who were ages 12 to 16 on
December 31, 1996. This sample is composed of the following groups:
-- A cross-sectional sample designed to represent the noninstitutional-
ized, civilian segment of young people living in the U.S. in 1997
and born between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 1984.
-- Supplemental samples of Hispanic or Latino and black youths living
in the U.S. in 1997 and born between January 1, 1980, and Decem-
ber 31, 1984.
The ninth round of annual interviews took place between October 2005
and June 2006. This release examines the period from the October when
respondents were age 19 until the following October when respondents were
age 20. All results except the first three age categories of table 1 are
weighted using the survey weights from the round in which the respondents
were age 20. The estimates of school enrollment status at ages 17, 18,
and 19 use the survey weights from the round in which the respondents were
those ages. The survey weights correct for oversampling of some demo-
graphic groups and nonresponse. When weighted, the data represent all
people who were born in the years 1980 to 1984 and living in the U.S. in
1997. Not represented by the survey are U.S. immigrants who were born
from 1980 to 1984 and moved to the U.S. after 1997. NLSY97 sample members
remain eligible to be interviewed during military service or if they become
incarcerated or institutionalized.
Interaction between time and age in a longitudinal survey
Because the NLSY97 is a longitudinal survey, meaning the same people
are surveyed over time, the ages of the respondents change with each survey
round. It is important to keep in mind this inherent link between the cal-
endar years and the ages of the respondents. The youngest respondents in
the sample (birth year 1984) turned 19 during calendar year 2003, whereas
the oldest respondents (birth year 1980) turned 19 during calendar year
1999. Some respondents may not be used in all tables if information about
their work history is incomplete.
Definitions
School enrollment status. If a respondent was enrolled in high school
or college at any point during the month of October, he or she is counted
as enrolled. If a respondent reported no school enrollment during October
and also had not earned a high school diploma or General Educational Devel-
opment (GED) credential, he or she is counted as a high school dropout.
Training. The NLSY97 obtains information on formal training experi-
ences outside of regular schooling. The training questions explore what
kinds of training respondents obtain, where and when they are trained, how
the training is paid for, and what skills are acquired. Training programs
include: Business or secretarial training; vocational, technical, or trade
training; vocational rehabilitation centers; licensed practical nursing or
registered nursing programs; apprenticeship programs; adult basic education
and GED programs; correspondence courses; formal company training or seminars;
and government training.
Employed. The NLSY97 collects employment histories for civilian jobs
and military service. Respondents are classified as employed if they did
any work during the specified time period as paid employees, as self-employed
proprietors of their own businesses, or as unpaid workers in a business owned
by a member of their family, or if they were enlisted in the Armed Forces.
Unemployed. Respondents are classified as unemployed if they did not
work during the specified time period but reported that they looked for
work or were on layoff from a job.
Not in the labor force. Respondents are classified as not in the labor
force if they did not work or look for work during the specified time period.
Race and ethnic groups. In this release, the findings are reported
for non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and Hispanics or Latinos.
These groups are mutually exclusive but not exhaustive. Other groups,
which are included in the overall totals, are not shown separately because
their representation in the survey sample is not sufficiently large to
provide statistically reliable estimates. In other BLS publications, es-
timates usually are published for whites, blacks, and Hispanics or Latinos,
but these groups are not mutually exclusive. "Hispanic or Latino" is con-
sidered to be an ethnic group, and people in that group can be of any race.
Most other BLS publications include estimates for Hispanics or Latinos in
the white and black race groups in addition to the Hispanic or Latino ethnic
group.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory-impaired
individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral
phone: 1-800-877-8339.
Last Modified Date: January 25, 2008
Bureau of Labor Statistics
