Trends in the occupational choices of high school seniors

Abstract

High school seniors for the years 1929 to 1933 inclusive in Minnesota were asked to state in their own words "The name of the occupation or profession you plan to follow as your life work." The percentage indicating no choice ranged from 20.7 to 39.9. A classification of occupational choices according to the Brussell revision of the Barr-Taussig scale of occupational intelligence showed a concentration in the high professional, executive and large business occupations for men and the low professional, business, technical and commercial occupations for women. There seems to be a decrease in choices among men for the professions and executive positions, particularly engineering, through the years 1929 to 1933, and an increase of choices for agriculture, forestry and skilled trades. "Concentration of choices in a few traditional categories continues to exist, in spite of the fact that such concentration is not in agreement with known facts about corresponding abilities, interests and opportunities." (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)