Boys, girls equally likely to be employees by age 17

Female youths were less likely than male youths to hold an employee job while age 15. About 35 percent of young women held an "employee" job when they were 15; about 43 percent of young men held an employee job at that age.

[Chart data—TXT]

By age 17, this gender gap disappeared. Nearly 80 percent of youths, male or female, held an employee job while age 17.

These data are from the National Longitudinal Survey. The survey respondents were ages 12 to 17 when first interviewed in 1997, and the oldest were age 20 when interviewed a third time in 1999-2000. Those with "employee" jobs have an formal relationship with a particular employer, such as a restaurant or supermarket. Those with "freelance" jobs perform tasks such as babysitting or yard work, but have no formal job arrangement. For more see news release USDL 01-479, "Employment Experience Of Youths: Results From The First Three Years Of A Longitudinal Survey".