Dropouts fared worse than high school grads during recent recession
In the past 20 years, the high school dropout rate has declined by one-half, according to Statistics Canada.
The rate was at 8.5 per cent in 2009/2010, down from 16.6 per cent in 1990/1991, found "Trends in dropout rates and the labour market outcomes of young dropouts."
During the recent economic downturn in 2008/2009, nearly one in four dropouts aged 20 to 24 was unable to find a job. Even among those who did find work, they earned less than high school graduates.
In the year before the downturn, the unemployment rate for dropouts aged 20 to 24 was 18 per cent. This was more than double the 8.4-per-cent unemployment rate for high school graduates aged 20 to 24 who were not attending school.
By 2008/2009, during the deepest part of the downturn, the unemployment rate for dropouts increased to 21.3 per cent and increased again in 2009/2010 to 23.2 per cent.
In contrast, the unemployment rates for high school graduates rose to 10 per cent in 2008/2009 and increased again to 11.9 per cent in 2009/2010.
Dropouts earned about $70 less a week than graduates in 2009/2010, with average weekly earnings of $551 compared to $621 for graduates.
The dropout rate was lower for young women (6.6 per cent) than young men (10.3 per cent) in 2009/2010. This was down from 14 per cent for young women and 19.2 per cent for young men in 1990/1991.
This shows the dropout rate for young men is declining faster, with the gap between the sexes dropping from 5.2 percentage points in 1990/1991 to 3.7 percentage points in 2009/2010.
