Labor, Force Entry and Attachment of Young People

Abstract

The one-in-a-thousand sample from the 1960 Census of Population and Housing was used to investigate the determinants of the movement of youth into and out of the labor force. Individuals in the sample between the ages of 14 and 24 were stratified on the basis of whether they worked in the preceding year, sex, age, and whether living at home. Separate regressions were run on each stratum. The dependent variable was the labor force status of the individual at the time of the enumeration. The independent variables included educational enrollment and attainment, family income, non-earned income of the youth, geographical region, and degree of urbanization. It was found that the first of these variables was the most influential in effecting the probabilities that a youth would enter and leave the labor force. In general, the results were consistent with the earlier findings of Eleanor H. Bernert which were based on the 1950 Census of Population.