November 2009A new study on high school dropouts in Los Angeles raises the specter of a lifetime existence at the poverty level. In his newly released report, Professor Paul Harrington, noted economist and director of the Center for Labor Market Studies - Northeastern University, Boston, illuminates the extent to which the economic effects to dropouts are disastrous in terms of lowering the likelihood of employment, lowering wages and lifetime earnings, and increasing the risk of falling into poverty.
The report, commissioned by the City of Los Angeles’ workforce policy leaders, which is the Workforce Investment Board (WIB), along with the WIB Youth Council, and the Community Development Department (CDD) reports some sobering statistics.
Executive Summary - Dropouts: Path to Poverty
Work, School and Idleness: Labor Market Activities and School Enrollment Trends of Young Adults in Los Angeles and Long Beach Cities, and California
Dropouts: Path to Poverty - The Lifetime Employment Earnings and Poverty Consequences of Dropping Out of School in the Los Angeles Metro Area
Two separate reports, created by the Center for Labor Market Studies, also address the consequences of dropping out of high school and the high cost for taxpayers.
Executive Summary: Consequences of Dropping Out of High School
New York Times Article: Study Finds High Rate of Imprisonment Among Dropouts
All of these reports follow-up on the 2005 WIB/CDD commissioned study and report by Professor Harrington,
"One Out of Five" - A Report on Out-of-School and Out-of-Work Youth in Los Angeles and Long Beach
