School Enrollment Trends among Displaced Workers: 1994-2010

Stefanie Lightner, University of Minnesota

This paper analyzes the school enrollment patterns of displaced workers in the U.S. from 1994 to 2010. Using newly linked October supplements of the Current Population Survey (CPS) I document trends in school enrollment following involuntary job loss or reduction to part time employment. I also consider changes over time in how displaced workers prioritize school and work. Has the search for new employment changed for displaced workers who have enrolled in school over time? What is the influence of public policy on short term trends in returning to school among the unemployed? Which industries are more likely to have its displaced workers return to school and how has this changed since 1994? By linking work status one year to school enrollment status the next over a period of 16 years, I identify long term trends in the prevalence of adults returning to school after job loss.