Ending Hunger in America, 2014 Hunger Report Full Report | Page 104
total of his skills and capabilities—determines his employability.
“Hunger rates are
Education is still the best way to build human capital. A worker
higher for high school
with a higher level of education earns higher wages, and in turn,
dropouts than for
higher wages make it possible for her to continue building her
those who graduate
and far higher than
human capital by obtaining additional education or training.
for those who earn
It’s a “virtuous cycle”—as opposed to a “vicious cycle”—that pays
a postsecondary
off for the rest of a person’s life.
credential.”
But the costs of teenagers dropping out are also borne
by society. In 2007, the Center for Labor Market Studies at
Northeastern University estimated that there
were 6 million high school dropouts in the
Figure 3.3 Prevalence and Severity of Food
United States between the ages of 16 and 24.15
Insecurity Among Children, by
Economists say that the people in this cohort
Educational Attainment of Most
alone will cost society at least $1.75 trillion over
Educated Adult in Household,
their lifetimes through public assistance, lost
2010-2011 Average.
tax revenues from their reduced earnings, and
incarceration.16 Harry Holzer, an economist at
Very low food security
Low food security
Georgetown University and the Urban Institute,
has studied the impact of high school dropout
rates on the national economy. He estimates that
All households with
every percentage point increase in the dropout
children
rate reduces federal revenues by $5 billion per
year. “A 1 percentage-point increase that lasts for
five years would reduce total federal revenues by a
Less than high
total of $25 billion,” Holzer says. “A 2 \??[?Y?\??????[?[??X\?H\?[?? ][[?[?? [YH ??[??Y X?H ?]?[?YH?HH ?[?
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