Youth and Work : Toward a Model of Lifetime Economic Prospects.

An analysis of the conceptual issues in research on youth employment embodied in a general, dynamic model consisting of a system of simultaneous equations. The model is based on the presumption that a youth's economic prospects are a consequence of three sets of interacting variables, summarized as experience, perceptions, and opportunities. Equality of economic opportunity is, essentially, a long-run concept. The extent to which an individual suffers from inequalities in economic opportunity depends on his economic prospects at various points in time. Therefore, the relations between behavior at a point in time and opportunity over time are developed. The model examines a number of phenomena that have been offered as explanations of the unsatisfactory economic future confronting low-income urban youth. The implications for policy analysis and program evaluation are explored at length. Research priorities are suggested and data availability and requirements are discussed. 62 pp. Bibliog.