A new study for Junior Achievement USA by the Washington, DC-based Population Reference Bureau shows changes from 1970 to 2017 in the characteristics of "disconnected youth," young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not employed nor enrolled in school. The study, which uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau, shows that the percentage of females who are considered "disconnected" fell dramatically during the past nearly five decades while the percentage of disconnected males has risen slightly over time. A final report on the study can be found here.
Findings of the study include:
"This study shows that while there has been a great deal of progress made over the past five decades in reducing disconnection rates with female, Hispanic and African-American youth, in particular, much more needs to be done," said Jack Kosakowski, President and CEO of Junior Achievement USA. "One of the conclusions that can be drawn from this research is that there is a direct connection between education early in life and the ability to fully participate through employment and post-secondary education later in life. It's important that we work with our young people today to help them understand the importance of education and the empowering aspects of work. We at Junior Achievement will certainly refer to these findings as we develop our programs focused on career readiness."
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