The Consequences of Dropping Out of High School: Joblessness and Jailing for High School Dropouts and the High Cost for Taxpayers

Dropping out of high school is correlated with lower employment prospects, teen and young adult pregnancy, and incarceration, according to this research paper's data analysis. Breaking down these outcomes by variables such as race, age, gender, and family income, it becomes clear that the problems are most severe among men and African-Americans. Lastly, the researchers present the economic costs to society of this phenomenon

The Plummeting Labor Market Fortunes of Teens and Young Adults

Employment prospects for teens and young adults in the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas plummeted between 2000 and 2011. On a number of measures -- employment rates, labor force underutilization, unemployment, and year-round joblessness -- teens and young adults fared poorly, and sometimes disastrously. While labor market problems affected all young people, some groups had better outcomes than others: Non-Hispanic whites, those from higher income households, those with work experience, and those with higher levels of education were more successful in the labor market. In particular, education and previous work experience were most strongly associated with employment.Policy and program efforts to reduce youth joblessness and labor force underutilizationshould focus on the following priorities: incorporating more work-based learning (such as apprenticeships, co-ops, and internships) into education and training; creating tighter linkages between secondary and post-secondary education; ensuring that training meets regional labor market needs; expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit; and facilitating the transition of young people into the labor market through enhanced career counseling, mentoring, occupational and work-readiness skills development, and the creation of short-term subsidized jobs

Mass Economy: The Labor Supply and Our Economic Future

Presents findings on the current health of the state's labor force and provides policy options for attracting and retaining workers, particularly older workers and immigrants

Getting to the Finish Line: College Enrollment and Graduation

Presents data from a longitudinal study of the Boston public school system's class of 2000 -- how many had enrolled in college, had graduated, and remained enrolled as of 2007, by gender, race/ethnicity, and types of college and high school attended