Pennsylvania ranks 31st and Maryland 41st in terms of “at-risk youth,” or those without either jobs or educational plans after high school, according to a study by the financial services firm WalletHub. States ranking first, second and third are Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma.
The study noted that with 13 percent of young Americans neither working nor in school, more effort is needed to help young adults succeed.
WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 15 key indicators of youth risk. The data set ranges from the share of disconnected youth to the labor force participation rate among young adults to the youth poverty rate.
The metrics used in the study are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest level of youth risk. The full report is at https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-the-most-at-risk-youth/37280.
Finally, WalletHub determined each state and the District’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the states.
Education & employment – total points: 60
- Share of disconnected youth: Double weight (~10.00 points)
Note: “disconnected youth” refers to the population aged 18 to 24 who are not attending school, not working and have no degree beyond a high school diploma. - Share of youth with no high school diploma: double weight (~10.00 points)
Note: “youth” refers to the population aged 18 to 24. - Share of students performing at or above 8th grade math and reading: Full weight (~5.00 points)
- Labor force participation rate among youth: Full weight (~5.00 points)
- Share of Armed Forces Qualification Tests at or above 50: Full weight (~5.00 Points)
- Youth poverty rate: Full weight (~5.00 Points)
- Rate of teen pregnancy: Full weight (~5.00 points)
- Share of homeless youth: Full weight (~5.00 points)
- Presence of state tuition waiver programs or scholarship/grant programs for youth in foster care: Full weight (~5.00 points)
- Rate of youth detained, incarcerated or placed in residential facilities per 100,000: Full weight (~5.00 points)
Note: Persons under age 21
Health – total points: 40
- Share of overweight & obese youth: Full weight (~8.00 points)
- Share of youth using illicit drugs in past month: Full weight (~8.00 points)
- Share of youth reporting heavy drinking: Full weight (~8.00 points)
- Share of youth with depression: Full weight (~8.00 points)
- Share of physically, mentally & emotionally inhibited youth: Full weight (~8.00 points)
