EFFECTS OF HIGH-SCHOOL WORK EXPERIENCE A DECADE LATER - EVIDENCE FROMTHE NATIONAL LONGITUDINAL SURVEY

This article reports findings from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth on the effects of working while in high school on educational a ttainment and a variety of labor force outcomes roughly a decade after high school completion. Previous studies focused on short-term conseq uences and reported mixed and contradictory results. The results of th is analysis of long-term effects suggest moderately negative effects o n educational attainment in that working youths are less likely to att end or to complete four or more years of college. However, working dur ing high school has a positive effect on a variety of labor force outc omes (labor force participation, employment status, and income) even a decade later, despite the small educational decrement that working yo uths suffer. The authors conclude that, a decade later, the labor forc e and income gains somewhat offset the educational decrements that are related to working while in high school.