The Uncertain Pathway from Youth to a Good Job: The Effects of Race, Class, and Gender. Executive Summary

The economic and social landscape that young people encounter today is substantially more complex and challenging than the one faced by earlier generations. Technological change and globalization have transformed the labor market, increasing the value of postsecondary education and hollowing out industries that once employed many workers who had no more than a high school diploma. While access to postsecondary education has expanded, gaps in educational attainment and access to good jobs among demographic groups persist. Together, these factors limit opportunity for many young workers. Within each racial/ethnic group, women are less likely to have a good job than men. Many young people seeking to secure a good job find themselves on winding pathways rife with barriers. Among these barriers are three major hurdles: (1) the rising cost of postsecondary education, (2) limited access to high-quality work-based learning (WBL), and (3) an absence of comprehensive counseling and career navigation services. These three hurdles, exacerbated by discrimination, have heightened disparities in educational attainment and financial security by race, class, and gender. Finally, they have slowed young adults' ability to accumulate wealth, especially for those who acquire substantial debt to cover the rising costs of postsecondary education. [For the full reports, "The Uncertain Pathway from Youth to a Good Job: How Limits to Educational Affordability, Work-Based Learning, and Career Counseling Impede Progress toward Good Jobs," see ED624515 and "The Uncertain Pathway from Youth to a Good Job: How Racial and Gender Bias Impede Progress toward Good Jobs," see ED624516.]