U.S. High School & College Student Employment Over Time (1993–2023)

What We’re Showing

This line chart shows the employment ratio of enrolled U.S. high school and college students from 1993–2023.

Key Takeaways

• The peak of employment for high school students was 35.5% in 1999, while college employment peaked a year later at 57.5%
• The lowest employment point for high school students was 15.7% during the Great Recession in 2010, but it has steadily risen since
• College students experienced their lowest employment ratio during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, at 41.3%