“Girls Rule”? Schooling, Work, and Idleness among Immigrant Youth

Deborah L. Garvey, Santa Clara University

This paper uses 2000 census data for youth ages 16 to 18 to analyze gender differences in high school dropout status and labor force participation of first- and second-generation youth relative to native-born youth whose parents were also born in the United States (the “third plus” generation). Preliminary findings suggest significant variation in enrollment propensities both across and within generations. Controlling for other covariates that influence dropout behavior, young women are about 20 percent more likely to be in school than men, although there is significant heterogeneity in the female effect. The strongest female advantage accrues to the second generation, while first-generation women are only slightly more likely to be enrolled in school than males.