Mayor launches program to combat high dropout rates

Listen to the full audio story

Download the MP3

The Mayor released a study on the lifetime employment, earnings and poverty consequences of dropping out of high school in the Los Angeles Metro Area in City Hall on Thursday. The study was conducted by Professor Paul E. Harrington, of Northeastern University. It found that dropouts would earn more than $6,000 less than those with a high school diploma. The expected lifetime wages for a high school dropout were around $697,000 compared to the $883,000 dropouts made in 1979. The lifetime earnings increased to $1.2 million for high school graduates, $2.43 million for Bachelors degree holders, and $3.5 million for those with a Masters degree.