Employment Data for Young Women of College Age

New data by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that in October 2013, 68.4 percent of women who had graduated from high school earlier that year were enrolled in college. Of these women who were recent high school graduates and were enrolled in college, 34.5 percent were also in the labor force (either employed or actively seeking work). For 2013 high school graduates, the labor participation rate for women college students was slightly higher than the rate for male college students.

For all college students in the 16-to-24 age group, 52.2 percent of women were in the labor force compared to 45.9 percent of men. For high school students, 21,9 percent of women were in the labor force, only slightly higher than the rate for high school males.

For women aged 16 to 24 who were not enrolled in school and did not have a high school diploma, the unemployment rate in 2013 was 32.9 percent. In contrast, for women in this age group who had obtained a bachelor’s degree, the 2013 unemployment rate was 6.5 percent.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics report, College Enrollment and Work Activity of 2013 High School Graduates, can be downloaded by clicking here.