The tables provide information about the percentages of Australian school leavers who followed three different pathways immediately after finishing secondary school between 1980 and 2000.
Overall, further education was the most popular choice in 1980, while unemployment accounted for the smallest proportion throughout the period. However, employment increased steadily and became the largest category by 2000.
In 1980, approximately 50% of school leavers chose to pursue further education, compared to 40% who entered employment. By contrast, only 10% were unemployed. Over the next decade, the proportion of employed people rose significantly to 50% in 1990. Similarly, the unemployment rate increased slightly to 12%. Meanwhile, the percentage of those continuing their education fell markedly to 38%.
From 1990 to 2000, the unemployment rate declined moderately to 8%, remaining the lowest figure among the three categories. While the proportion of school leavers pursuing further education remained relatively stable at around 37%, the figure for employment continued to grow steadily, reaching 55% and becoming the dominant trend by the end of the period.