Leaving School - Results From a National Survey Comparing School Leavers and High School Graduates 18 to 20 Years of Age - January 1995
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8. Labour Market and Life Outcomes
Introduction
Whether or not a student leaves high school early or graduates has important employment and life consequences. This chapter examines the post-high school labour market and life outcomes of leavers and graduates. The education and training youth receive after high school is also important but will not be assessed since the focus is on comparing pure leavers with pure graduates i.e. those in each category who have not received additional education or training.
With continuers excluded, 80% of the sample are high school graduates and 20% are leavers. The graduates and leavers are composed of three groups: (a) those who are in postsecondary education or other training programs, (b) those who have some, or have completed, postsecondary education or other training programs, and (c) those with little or no subsequent education or training.
While the majority of graduates have continued on to further education or training, the majority of leavers had not. Sixty-five per cent of the graduates were currently enrolled in an advanced program, 9% had completed advanced education or training, and 26% had little or no further education/training. Interestingly, 11% of the leavers were in advanced education or training, 6% had completed, and 83% had little additional education or training. The latter set of numbers indicate that some high school leavers, 17%, are in or have completed higher levels of education.
The SLS captures the behaviour of 18-20-year-old youth at a particular moment in time, April-June 1991. Labour force experience will vary with level of education attained and with the time of entry into the labour market. As indicated above, many of the graduates have gone on to postsecondary education, a few have even completed their postsecondary programs and some of the leavers have also entered postsecondary education or have received additional training. It does not make sense to examine the work behaviour of students who are still in their programs. As well, since the numbers of leavers and graduates who have completed additional education/training are small and subject to variation, they do not permit separate analyses.
The comparison of pure leavers with pure graduates will provide conservative estimates of the impact of high school completion since the leavers will have had an opportunity to gain more work experience.
Employment
The vast majority of both leavers and graduates had worked at a job since leaving school (92%). A similar proportion of male leavers (97%) and male graduates (93%) held a job, but female graduates (92%) were more likely than female leavers (84%) to have done so. Two thirds of leavers and graduates had just one job in the last six months. Graduates were more likely than leavers to have had two jobs and less likely than leavers to have had no job in the last six months (Table 8-1).
Leavers were more likely than graduates to be unemployed the week prior to being surveyed. Thirty-four per cent of the male leavers were unemployed compared with 23% of the male graduates. For women, 26% of the leavers were unemployed compared with 18% of the graduates. Twenty-four per cent of female leavers were not in the labour force compared with 6% of female graduates (Chart 8-1).
| Number of Jobs | Total % | Males % | Females % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graduates | Leavers | Graduates | Leavers | Graduates | Leavers | |
| 1 | 68 | 67 | 69 | 68 | 67 | 65 |
| 2 | 21 | 14 | 20 | 16 | 23 | 10* |
| 3+ | 6 | 6* | 7* | 6* | 5* | - |
| None | 5* | 13 | - | 10* | 6* | 19 |
Chart 8-1
Labour Force Status by Gender
Statistics Canada School Leavers Survey
More male leavers than graduates were employed in blue collar primary industries and processing occupations (62% compared with 48%) and fewer were in white collar clerical, sales and service jobs (28% compared with 44%). Female leavers and graduates were clustered in clerical, sales and service jobs with female leavers tending to be in service jobs (40%) and female graduates tending to be in clerical and related positions (39%).
It was surprising that 26% of the male leavers and 17% of the graduates worked 50 or more hours per week (Table 8-2). Another 47% of the male leavers and 56% of the graduates worked 40-49 hours a week. Females were less likely to work long hours; however, 34% of female leavers and 41% of female graduates worked between 40-49 hours per week. Although there was little difference between leavers and graduates, 11-12% of the males and 24-26% of the females worked less than thirty hours per week (Table 8-2). The two main reasons given for working less than 30 hours per week were "Only a part-time job" and "Could not get more hours" (Table 8-3).
Incomes and Sources
Despite long weekly hours, both leavers and graduates were not doing very well financially. Respondents were asked to indicate their personal income from all sources before taxes and deductions over the last 12 months. Fifty-one per cent of male leavers and graduates had total personal incomes of $10,000 or less. Only 12% of the male leavers and 11% of the graduates had personal incomes over $20,000. Female graduates and leavers had even lower total personal incomes. Sixty-one per cent of the leavers and 66% of the female graduates received $10,000 or less over the past year and a negligible proportion of both groups had total incomes of $20,000 or more. Twenty-two per cent of the female leavers compared with 13% of the graduates did not know their total personal income. So, both leavers and graduates had extremely modest earnings, which undoubtedly reflect their low education level and entry-level jobs.
| Hours | Males | Females | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graduates | Leavers | Graduates | Leavers | |
| 50+ | 17 | 26 | 7* | - |
| 40-49 | 56 | 47 | 41 | 34 |
| 30-39 | 16 | 13* | 25 | 35 |
| < 30 | 11* | 12* | 26 | 24* |
| Reason | Graduates | Leavers |
| "Only a Part-Time Job" | 42 | 49 |
| "Could Not Get More Hours" | 41 | 37* |
Concerning the sources of this income, and consistent with the employment and family background patterns discussed in previous sections:
- more leavers (28%) than graduates (23%) received unemployment insurance.
- more leavers (18%) than graduates (8%) received social assistance or welfare.
- three times as many female leavers (30%) as graduates (10%) received social assistance or welfare.
- regardless of graduation or gender, about 67% did not receive financial support from family, including spouse or common law partner.
- many more female leavers (29%) than graduates (10%) received family allowance income.
- for 34% of the leavers and 23% of the graduates their income is the only source of income for the household.
Job Search
If respondents were to look for work, what kind of job search activities would they engage in and what kind of help would they receive? There didn't appear to be much difference between leavers and graduates in their job search activities. However, leavers were more restricted by their job search skills and anticipated less help than graduates.
For example, when asked "Are you familiar with Canada Employment Centres or other federal programs?" 27% of leavers said "no" compared with 23% of graduates, and for those who were familiar, 17% of leavers, compared with 13% of graduates, said that they would not use them if they were looking for work. Most leavers and graduates (66%) were unfamiliar with provincial employment or training programs and further, when questioned about usage, 20% of leavers and 14% of graduates indicated that they would not use these programs. Unfamiliarity with private employment agencies was high, 76-78% (Charts 8-2-A-B-C).
Most leavers and graduates indicated that they would not receive job search assistance from school counsellors or teachers. This was especially the case for male leavers (79%). Most leavers and graduates would contact employers directly, get help from friends or relatives, or would use newspaper ads. However, more leavers than graduates indicated they would not get help from friends or relatives, or would not use newspaper ads. Nineteen per cent of male leavers, for example, said they would not use newspaper ads and 18% of female leavers said that they would not receive help from friends or relatives (Table 8-4).
Chart 8-2A :
Familiarity With, and Probable Use of, Canada Employment Centres
Statistics Canada School Leavers Survey
Chart 8-2B :
Familiarity With, and Probable Use of, Provincial Employment or Training Programs
Statistics Canada School Leavers Survey
Chart 8-2C
Familiarity With, and Probable Use of, Private Employment Agencies
Statistics Canada School Leavers Survey
Although the overall percentages are low, more leavers than graduates indicated that they had difficulty filling out job applications and that their reading, writing and mathematics skills limited their job opportunities. In particular, 29% of female leavers said their basic mathematics skills restricted their job opportunities (Table 8-5).
| Job Search Help | Males | Females | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leavers | Graduates | Leavers | Graduates | |||||
| % | % | % | % | |||||
| Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | |
| Help From High School Counsellors or Teachers | 21 | 79 | 31 | 69 | 31 | 69 | 33 | 67 |
| Use Newspaper Ads | 81 | 19 | 88 | 12 | 91 | 9* | 95 | 5* |
| Help From Friends or Relatives | 85 | 15 | 91 | 9 | 82 | 18 | 90 | 10 |
| Contact Employers Directly | 98 | - | 97 | - | 96 | - | 97 | - |
| Basic Skills | Males | Females | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leavers | Graduates | Leavers | Graduates | |
| % yes | ||||
| Difficulty Filling Out Job Applications | 16 | 6* | 17 | 5* |
| Reading/Writing Skills Limit Job Opportunities | 15 | 6* | 18 | 6* |
| Math Skills Limit Job Opportunities | 19 | 11 | 29 | 14 |
Past Training and Future Prospects
In a competitive global economy, the extent of training done by private sector companies is an important issue. Sixty-six per cent of female leavers and 51% of male leavers who were in the labour force had not received any training from an employer. Similarly, many graduates, 47% of women and 45% of men, had not received any training. Those who need training the most, the leavers, are less likely to receive it.
The future prospects for the current generation of young adults with low education appear uncertain. Most leavers and graduates, however, either planned to take further education or training or were interested in acquiring new skills (97% of graduates and 96% of leavers).
Leavers, to a greater extent than graduates, were interested in pursuing engineering and applied science technologies and trades, while more graduates were interested in educational, recreational and counselling services; commerce, management and business administration; engineering and applied sciences and health professions (Table 8-6).
Career uncertainty or indecision, lack of knowledge, and the absence of a concrete direction may be important underlying factors regarding educational and vocational goals. Graduates to a greater extent than leavers may have specific, long-term, occupational destinations which serve to motivate and structure their educational progress. Leavers, on the other hand, may lack these objectives, and thus appear less motivated and focused. This uncertainty is also reflected by the fact that over twice as many leavers (20%) as graduates (9%) did not know where they would get the type of training or education that they specified, and more leavers (24%) than graduates (13%) indicated either "no specialization" or "don't know" when asked what skill or type of training they desired.
| Leavers (%) | Graduates (%) | |
| Educational, Recreational and Counselling Services | - | 6 |
| Fine and Applied Arts | 8 | 6 |
| Humanities and Related Fields | - | 3* |
| Social Sciences and Related Fields | 6* | 9* |
| Commerce, Management and Business Administration | 12 | 20 |
| Agriculture and Biological Sciences/Technologies | 4* | 3* |
| Engineering and Applied Sciences | - | 5 |
| Engineering and Applied Science Technologies and Trades | 32 | 25 |
| Health Professions, Sciences and Technologies | - | 6 |
| All Other, Not Elsewhere Classified | 3* | - |
| No Specialization | 11 | - |
| Don't Know | 13 | 13 |
Leisure Time Activities
Respondents were asked about how they spent their time. More leavers than graduates reported 'rarely' or 'never' engaging in most of the pastimes. The most popular pastime was spending time with friends, yet twice as many leavers as graduates seldom did this.
The degree of difference between leavers and graduates varied by gender. Twenty-eight per cent of male leavers compared with 18% of male graduates reported rarely or never participating in sports activities. When asked "How often do you spend time reading newspapers, magazines, books" 17% of female leavers compared with 9% of female graduates said rarely or never. Many more male leavers (42%) than graduates (29%) rarely/never watched TV (Chart 8-3).
Chart 8-3
Leisure Time Activities by Gender
Statistics Canada School Leavers Survey
Job, Financial and Life Satisfaction
Overall, job satisfaction is high (86%). However, substantial dissatisfaction with their financial situations exists, with more leavers (45%] dissatisfied than graduates (39%). Basically, both groups are satisfied with their life in general, but, 15% of leavers compared with 8% of graduates are dissatisfied.
Summary
The labour market and life prospects of leavers appear to be dismal. Many more leavers than graduates had not taken any further education or training. More leavers than graduates encountered unemployment and more male leavers than graduates worked in blue collar occupations, while more female leavers than graduates worked in service jobs. Despite lengthy hours, both leavers and graduates had low incomes, and leavers had greater dependency on unemployment insurance, social assistance, and family allowances. Financial dissatisfaction was high, particularly for leavers.
In light of the long work hours, it may be difficult for leavers to escape from their economic and educational circumstances. More leavers than graduates had difficulty filling out job applications and indicated that their basic skills restricted their job opportunities. Leavers revealed more uncertainty about their future career directions than graduates.
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