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Drug use, the transition from school to work and occupational achievement in the United States

Usage de la drogue, transition école-emploi et réussite professionnelle aux USA

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Abstract

To determine the effects of drug use on entry into the labor force and subsequent socioeconomic achievement, we estimated duration models of the time elapsed since first leaving school to the first fulltime civilian job and jobs held at ages 24–25 and 28–29.

The duration models show inconsistent drug effects: women who use illicit drugs other than marijuana delay entry into the labor force while men who use alcohol daily experience a somewhat more rapid entry. Blacks and those with a lower level of educational attainment enter the labor force more slowly than non-blacks and those with higher educational levels.

The more important determinants of occupational outcomes at entry and later points in the work career are the human capital variables, i.e. educational attainment and experience. Duration of time since leaving school to first job has a statistically significant and negative impact on earnings, which increases over time for men but not for women. Being black is consistently associated with higher earnings among women. Holding constant other determinants of socioeconomic achievement, such as family background factors, marital status, race, and participation in different activities and roles during high school, effects of drug use among men and women and across earnings and prestige of the job are weak and inconsistent. The only statistically significant effect is the positive impact of marijuana use on males’ earnings at age 29.

The findings lead us to conclude that drug use has only minor impact on occupational achievement in early adulthood.

Résumé

Pour déterminer les effets de l’usage de la drogue à l’entrée dans le monde du travail et leurs conséquences socio-économiques pour les individus, on a examiné les délais d’attente avant le premier emploi ainsi que l’évolution de la carrière professionnelle évaluée à 24–25 ans et 28–29 ans.

Ces effets et conséquences sont hétérogènes: les hommes ayant une consommation quotidienne d’alcool ont un emploi plus rapidement que les femmes consommatrices de drogues illégales autres que la marijuana. Ce délai d’attente est plus important pour les noirs et les personnes de bas niveau d’études.

Les plus importants déterminants des revenus initiaux et de la carrière sont les variables tenant au capital humain: expérience éducative et niveau d’étude atteint.

Le délai d’attente entre la sortie du système scolaire et le premier emploi a un effet négatif significatif sur le salaire, effet s’accentuant par la suite pour les hommes mais pas pour les femmes.

Toutes choses égales d’ailleurs, les effets de l’usage de la drogue sur les salaires et la qualité de l’emploi s’avèrent faibles et hétérogènes aussi bien pour les hommes que pour les femmes. Le seul effet statistiquement significatif est l’impact positif de la consommation de marijuana sur les salaires des hommes de 29 ans.

Les résultats nous conduisent à affirmer que l’usage de drogues chez les jeunes a des faibles effets sur leur réussite professionnelle au début de l’âge adulte.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA

    Denise Kandel & Peter Mossel

  2. Columbia University, USA

    Denise Kandel, Peter Mossel & Robert Kaestner

  3. Columbia University, 722 West 168th St., Box 20, New York, New York, 10032

    Denise Kandel

  4. Dept. of Health Sciences Administration, Columbia University, 630 West 168th St., 10032, New York, N.Y.

    Peter Mossel

  5. AT&T, Route 202/206 North, 07921, Bedminster, N.J.

    Robert Kaestner

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  1. Denise Kandel
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  2. Peter Mossel
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  3. Robert Kaestner
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Additional information

This research was partially supported by grants DA 01097, DA 02867 and DA 03196 and Research Scientist Award DA 00081 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and by an award from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

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Kandel, D., Mossel, P. & Kaestner, R. Drug use, the transition from school to work and occupational achievement in the United States. Eur J Psychol Educ 2, 337–363 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03172620

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