WASHINGTON, D.C. – According to a new report, 5.2 million American youth aged 18 to 24 do not have a high school diploma, and millions more are not attending school and not working.

Entitled Reclaiming Our Nation’s Youth, the report also identifies 4.4 million young people within the same age span that are not attending school, not working, and possess no degree beyond high school. In addition, 1.4 million American teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 are neither in school nor working.

In analyzing these “disconnected youth,” the report concludes that, “Individually, each of these young people are at risk of long term unemployment, living in poverty, and engaging criminal activity. Collectively, they represent a generation of lost potential.”

“These troubling statistics indicate the need to reengage our out-of-school youth in education and workforce preparation,” said Bruce Lesley, president of First Focus, the bipartisan children’s advocacy organization that released the report. “Dropouts are far less likely to be steadily employed and twice as likely to live in poverty. This epidemic has put the future of our economy at risk. Without action by our generation, the next generation will be one of lost potential.”

The report also finds:

  • Young people who have not completed high school are more than three times as likely to be unemployed as college graduates.
  • Only one-third (37 percent) of high school dropouts nationwide are steadily employed, and they are more than twice as likely as high school graduates to live in poverty.
  • Nearly 7 out of 10 State prison inmates do not have a high school diploma. Each young person who fails to finish high school and goes on to a life of crime costs the nation between $1.7 and $2.3 million.

Today, Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), introduced legislation to combat these startling numbers, by providing the support that ensures every high school dropout has the opportunity to attain a high school diploma, a postsecondary credential, and a family supporting career. The RAISE UP Act (Reengaging Americans in Serious Education by Uniting Programs) calls for broad local partnerships to integrate existing, often disparate services into a dropout recovery system at the local level. Young people who have dropped out of school would receive a comprehensive array of services, including education assistance, career and work preparation, and other support that ranges from drug treatment to housing. Funds would bring school districts and community colleges together with businesses, mental health agencies, community-based organizations, and others to help our young people reach their full potential.

“When young people drop out of high school, they are too often cast aside without the support network necessary to help them get back on the right track,” said Stabenow. “That’s why I am pleased this legislation will connect disadvantaged youth with strong community coalitions, so they can earn a diploma and attain the skills to compete in the 21st Century workforce.”