Post-school employment patterns of handicapped and nonhandicapped graduates and dropouts

Abstract

This study investigated the post-school employment patterns of handicapped and nonhandicapped graduates and dropouts in the 1980 sophomore cohort of the second follow-up files of High School and Beyond (HSB). Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used to examine the factors associated with employment status, type of first job held after high school, hours worked per week, income earned, and duration of employment. The findings of this study serve to both confirm and extend previous evidence in the literature on the labor market performance of selected groups of young adults with mild handicaps. Based on the results, individuals with mild handicaps, who were most likely mainstreamed in high school, appear to have lower levels of employment and associated performance measures in comparison to their nonhandicapped peers. In addition, conservative estimates of the dropout rate of students with specific handicapping conditions indicate significantly higher attrition rates when compared to the nonhandicapped sample.