A study was conducted to determine how employers make hiring decisions for entry-level jobs. In simulated hiring settings, 56 employers in Columbus, Ohio, were asked to rate young job seekers first from their application forms and then from videotaped interviews. The applicants (aged 16-25) were seeking full-time employment in three fields:…

A recent study showed that high school students who are not planning to attend college full time should combine vocational and academic course work to maximize their success in the labor market. In a study of non-college bound youth (based on the High School and Beyond Survey data) that examined the impact of high school curriculum, grades, and…

In a survey of 28,000 high school seniors, researchers found that 21,000 (75 percent) were in the labor force. The average number of hours worked per week was 16.4. The study identified the characteristics of the students and their schools that affect part-time work: (1) the higher the wage rate, the more likely a student was to work more hours…

A survey of over 3,800 employers found that school-provided vocational training was required for 9.5 percent of the jobs studied and "important but not required" for another 37.9 percent. In this study, new employees with relevant vocational education exhibited these characteristics: (1) were 6.5 percent more productive 6 to 36 months after being…

A recent study showed that many adolescents cannot effectively navigate the labor market. They do not know how to obtain a job nor how to leave one gracefully. In this study on the school-to-work transition, interviews were conducted with 25 adolescents over a one-year time span. Researchers observed the youths at work and interviewed their…