Consequences of Employment During High School

Character Building, Subversion of Academic Goals, or a Threshold

Bibliographic Data

ID8224016
AuthorsHerbert W Marsh (0000-0002-1078-9717, Western Sydney University, corresponding author), Sabina Kleitman (0000-0001-5772-5019, University of Western Sydney and University of Sydney)
Year2005
Volume42
Issue2
Pages331-369
Publication date2005-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Educational Research Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-8312 • E-ISSN: 1935-1011
PublisherAmerican Educational Research Association (AERA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.3102/00028312042002331
OpenAlexW1986331612
LanguageEN
Citations received43
References cited27

This study showed that working during high school had negative effects on 15 of 23 Grade 12 and postsecondary outcomes such as achievement, course-work selection, educational and occupational aspirations, and college attendance. These effects were found with control for background variables and parallel outcomes from Grades 8 and 10 based on the 8-year (four-wave), nationally representative National Education Longitudinal Survey of 1988. The only benefit of working was a reduction in postsecondary unemployment, but even this effect was nonlinear. In the case of most outcomes, the effects of hours worked were primarily linear and negative and were consistent across ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, initial ability levels, and different types of work. Among continuing students who worked during high school, however, working to save money for college had mostly favorable effects

Academic achievement · Attendance · Demographic economics · Economic growth · Economics · Ethnic group · Higher education · Mathematics education · Postsecondary education · Socioeconomic status · Sociology · Unemployment · Demography · Early Childhood Education and Development · Psychology · School Choice and Performance · Youth Development and Social Support