Work MattersWork MattersConsequences of High School Employment Consequences of High School Employment

on College Attendanceon College Attendance

Irina VoloshinIrina VoloshinUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Washington

UW-Beyond High School Project Workshop UW-Beyond High School Project Workshop October 19October 19thth, 2007, 2007

The Life of a High School SeniorThe Life of a High School Senior

An Often-Neglected Component of An Often-Neglected Component of the High School Experiencethe High School Experience

Presentation OverviewPresentation Overview

Theoretical FrameworkTheoretical Framework

Measuring Work: Salient Dimensions of Measuring Work: Salient Dimensions of the Teen Labor Marketthe Teen Labor Market

UW-BHS Data on Student EmploymentUW-BHS Data on Student Employment

Descriptive and Multivariate Findings Descriptive and Multivariate Findings

Preliminary ConclusionsPreliminary Conclusions

Theories About Consequences Theories About Consequences of Teen Workof Teen Work

Is work a ‘Zero-Sum’ or ‘Plus-Sum’ Is work a ‘Zero-Sum’ or ‘Plus-Sum’ Game?Game?– Can work and school be effectively Can work and school be effectively

combined?combined?

Positive Socialization or Rote Tasks?Positive Socialization or Rote Tasks?– Can jobs impart skills and habits that Can jobs impart skills and habits that

facilitate academic orientation and facilitate academic orientation and achievement?achievement?

Dimensions of Student EmploymentDimensions of Student Employment

Work Status: Is student currently employed?Work Status: Is student currently employed?

Work Intensity: How many hours per week Work Intensity: How many hours per week does the student work, on average?does the student work, on average?

Occupational Type:Occupational Type:Employer (company or private) of the studentEmployer (company or private) of the student

Employer’s main commercial activityEmployer’s main commercial activity

Student’s job titleStudent’s job title

Student’s most important activities as part of his/her Student’s most important activities as part of his/her jobjob

Survey Questions: Employment Survey Questions: Employment StatusStatus

Survey Questions: Type of Work Survey Questions: Type of Work

UW-BHS Data and Job Type UW-BHS Data and Job Type MeasuresMeasures

Self-reported employer and job information from Self-reported employer and job information from which we code students into three job categories which we code students into three job categories utilizing the 2000 Census Industrial and utilizing the 2000 Census Industrial and Occupational Classification:Occupational Classification:

““Typical Teen JobsTypical Teen Jobs”” (food service, retail/sales, (food service, retail/sales, personal services)personal services)

““Blue Collar JobsBlue Collar Jobs”” (packing/shipping, warehouse (packing/shipping, warehouse work, factory work, landscaping work)work, factory work, landscaping work)

““White/Pink Collar JobsWhite/Pink Collar Jobs”” (office work, tutoring, (office work, tutoring, lifeguards) lifeguards)

Are Working Students Different Are Working Students Different from Non-Workers?from Non-Workers?

52% of sample employed52% of sample employedCharacteristics of workers:Characteristics of workers:– 59% Female59% Female– 62% White62% White– 72% Third Generation +72% Third Generation +– 38% Parents have at least a 4-year 38% Parents have at least a 4-year

degreedegree– 33% Expect a graduate/professional 33% Expect a graduate/professional

degreedegree

Work Intensity and Work Intensity and Student CharacteristicsStudent Characteristics

% Whose Parents Have at Least a 4-year Degree

2530354045505560

LT 12 BW 12 and 20 MR 20

parentshavecollegedegree

% Who Expect an Advanced Degree

20

25

30

35

40

45

LT 12 BW 12 and 20 MR 20

expectingadvanceddegree

Type of Work andType of Work andStudent CharacteristicsStudent Characteristics

% Whose Parents Have at Least a 4-year Degree

0

10

20

30

40

50

Typical Teen Jobs Blue Collar White/Pink Collar

parentshavecollegedegree

% Expecting an Advanced Degree

0

10

20

30

40

Typical Teen Jobs Blue Collar White/Pink Collar

expectingadvanceddegree

Our Research DesignOur Research Design

Dimensions of Employment

College Enrollment:

4-year2-year

No College

We Account For: • Timing• Selectivity into Work

We Identify:• Key aspects of student jobs• Net effects of employment

Backgroundand

Academic Student

Characteristics

• Work Status• Work Intensity (hrs/wk)• Occupation

Descriptive Findings: Work Intensity Descriptive Findings: Work Intensity and College Attendance and College Attendance

Work Status/Intensity and College Attedance

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Not Attending Attending a 2-yearCollege

Attending a 4-yearCollege

Not Working

LT 12

BW 12 and 20

MT 20

Descriptive Findings: Job Type and Descriptive Findings: Job Type and College AttendanceCollege Attendance

Job Type and College Attendance

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Not Attending Attending a 2-yearCollege

Attending a 4-yearCollege

Not Working

Typical teen jobs

Blue collar

White/Pink Collar

Results from Multivariate ModelsResults from Multivariate Models

Holding constant gender, race/ethnicity, Holding constant gender, race/ethnicity, immigrant status, schools, background immigrant status, schools, background SES, academic achievement and SES, academic achievement and expectations of students, we find that:expectations of students, we find that:

Work Status Work Status per se per se does NOT have an does NOT have an effecteffectWork Characteristics (both the work Work Characteristics (both the work intensity and the quality of student jobs) intensity and the quality of student jobs) DO DO significantly impact college significantly impact college attendanceattendance

Results from Multivariate Models: Results from Multivariate Models: Work IntensityWork Intensity

Low Work Intensity (less than 12 hours) is Low Work Intensity (less than 12 hours) is associated with greater likelihood of associated with greater likelihood of attending collegeattending college– Over 3 times more likely to attend a 4-year Over 3 times more likely to attend a 4-year

college than not attend college at allcollege than not attend college at all– Over 1.5 times more likely to attend a 2-year Over 1.5 times more likely to attend a 2-year

collegecollege

High Work Intensity (over 20 hours) is High Work Intensity (over 20 hours) is associated with lower likelihood of post-associated with lower likelihood of post-secondary enrollmentsecondary enrollment

Results from Multivariate Models: Results from Multivariate Models: Job TypeJob Type

Students in White/Pink collar jobs are Students in White/Pink collar jobs are more likely to go to a 4-year university more likely to go to a 4-year university than those in typical teen jobsthan those in typical teen jobsor in blue collar jobsor in blue collar jobs

Blue collar workers are slightly more Blue collar workers are slightly more likely to report no post-secondary likely to report no post-secondary enrollment enrollment

ConclusionsConclusionsWhile work status in itself does not affect college While work status in itself does not affect college enrollment one year after high school graduation, enrollment one year after high school graduation, work intensity and job type do. work intensity and job type do.

Low work intensity and jobs with greater Low work intensity and jobs with greater responsibility and task differentiation are positively responsibility and task differentiation are positively related to 4-year college attendancerelated to 4-year college attendance

High work intensity (especially more than 26 hours High work intensity (especially more than 26 hours per week) and typical teen jobs are associated per week) and typical teen jobs are associated with lower post-secondary academic attainment with lower post-secondary academic attainment

How will these results hold up for college How will these results hold up for college graduation? Occupational attainment after graduation? Occupational attainment after college? Stay tuned…college? Stay tuned…