Education and Labour Market Transitions in Young Adulthood. Culture, Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics. Research Paper. Catalogue no. 81-595-M No. 075

Young adulthood is filled with major life events and pursuing higher education is one of the most common transitions. It is also the time when many young adults enter the labour market, move out of their parents' household and begin family formation. These significant events affect each other and impact the rest of their lives. Given the significance of these life events and their potential long lasting effects, it is important to try to understand these transitions. However, given their complexities and intertwining nature, studying them requires unique sets of data, such as the Youth in Transition Survey (YITS). This data is longitudinal, where the same set of respondents is interviewed at set time intervals. As such, the YITS data base is ideal for studying life transitions through time. This report presents results from the five cycles of YITS. Descriptive in nature, this report looks at education, early labour market outcomes and family formation of these young adults. The report is structured in the following way. First, educational pathways are explored. Second, early transitions into the labour market are analyzed. Third, transitions associated with family formation are discussed. Finally, the report provides a summary of some key findings. Appended are: (1) What is the Youth in Transition Survey (YITS)?; and (2) Tables. A cumulative index is included. (Contains 15 tables, 8 charts, 1 endnote.)