Among men 18 years old and over in 1959, 60 percent of the college graduates were in professional and technical fields, and about 20 percent were managers, officials, or proprietors. Among men who completed high school, but did not go beyond, a majority were found in three occupation groups craftsmen; operatives; and managers, officials, or proprietors. Those with some high school, but lacking 4 complete years, and men who finished elementary school, but who did not go on to high school, were most likely to have become operatives or craftsmen. Those with lesser amounts of education were most usually found-when employed at all-in farm, service, and unskilled laboring jobs. Of all employed men, as of 1957, in the age group 35 to 54 who had completed less than 8 years of elementary school, 92 percent earned less than $6,000 per year. In contrast, 65 percent of high school graduates and only 29 percent of college graduates had income below this level. Employed workers with an eighth grade education or less have 65 percent of the incomes between $1,000 and $1,500, and 61 percent of the incomes between $1,500 and $2,500. 2. Unemployment and underemployment Unskilled workers have the highest rates of unemployment and the lowest average level of education. A Department of Labor study for March 1959 showed an unemployment rate of 10 percent for workers with under 5 years completed, a rate of 9.8 percent for those with 5 to 7 years schooling, 4.8 percent for high school graduates and 1.8 percent for college graduates. These rates had not changed substantially by March 1962. The rate of unemployment in 1962 among proprietors, managers, professional, and technical personnel was between 1 and 2 percent. Clerical and salesworkers were unemployed at the rate of approximately 4 percent. But semiskilled workers were out of work at the rate of 7% percent and unskilled workers at the rate of about 12 percent. 3. Public assistance Recipients of public assistance are more likely to be persons of low educational attainment. A 1957 study in New York, for example, revealed that almost a fifth of the mothers on the aid to dependent children rolls had not gone beyond the fifth grade. This study further showed that among families receiving general assistance, half the family heads had completed no more than 6 years of schooling. Illinois reported in 1960 that a fifth of their ADC mothers had not gone beyond the sixth grade. In Louisiana, in 1954, half the ADC mothers and three-fourths of the fathers in the home had received only a fifth grade education or less. Source: U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare based on data appearing in Current Population Reports, Population Characteristics, Series P-20, No. 91, published by the U. S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. Projections used were Series II for population and Series A for educational levels. 4. Military service In World War II, some 400,000 illiterates were accepted for military service. The Armed Forces provided these men with the educational fundamentals necessary for useful service. Another 300,000 illiterates-equal to 20 army divisions were rejected completely. During the Korean war over 19 percent of all recruits were rejected from military service on grounds of educational deficiencies. Experience showed that many of these men could learn, but overcoming their previous educational deprivations was costly and time consuming. Draft registrants rejected for "mental reasons," including educational deficiencies, ranged from 56 to 39 percent in the four highest States. Ten other States had rejection rates exceeding 21 percent. From July 1950 to September 1961, over 900,000 draft registrants out of 6 million examined were rejected on the basis of a mental test alone. This number was almost as many as were disqualified on medical grounds. Low educational attainment was the largest single reason for rejection. PROJECTED EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT OF THE POPULATION Although lower educational attainment is most prevalent among older persons, the problem will continue for many decades. The Census Bureau estimates that by 1980 there will still be more than 5 million persons 25 years of age and older with less than 5 years of education completed and 21.5 million with less than 8 years if trends continue (chart and table). present Persons 25 years old and over with less than 8 years of school completed (as of Apr. 1, 1960, census) 1 Resident population includes institutional population but excludes Armed Forces abroad. 2 Based on years of "regular" schooling completed through formal education obtained in public and private kindergartens and graded schools. Source: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare; based on U.S. Department of Commerce, Census; U.S. Census of Population: 1960, General Social and Economic Characteristics, series for each State. |