Building off of the 2019, 2021, and 2022 reports, this updated Life After High School 2023 report examines the economic and educational realities facing young New Orleanians as the city and the economy attempt to recover from the changes brought on by the pandemic.
Introduction
The first few years after high school are often framed as a critical time in a young person’s life, as they lay the groundwork for one’s future. In 2019, the Cowen Institute released the first Life After High School report and website, with the aim to explore the lives of young people aged 16-24 in New Orleans by examining their education and employment pathways.
Since then, the world has changed dramatically. The wide-reaching changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted young people lives and their postsecondary decisions. Building off of the 2019, 2021, and 2022 reports, this updated Life After High School 2023 report examines the economic and educational realities facing young New Orleanians as the city and the economy attempt to recover from the changes brought on by the pandemic. In this report, we present data on current jobs and wages in the city, with a focus on industries that employ larger numbers of 16-24 year olds. We also look to postsecondary education data, with a focus on enrollment trends among historically excluded populations.
Relying on a variety of data sources, this report provides a descriptive summary of the educational and employment outcomes of young people in New Orleans between the ages of 16-24. Data on the local and national economy, as well as on postsecondary education, can help young people and families make better informed decisions about career and educational pathways.
While we have used some of the best economic and educational data sources available (see the methodology section for a full breakdown), no amount of data can ever construct a complete picture of the individual experiences of every young person in the city. We hope that this report serves as a foundation for a broader discussion about the employment and educational opportunities available for young people in our city.
We want to thank the Carnegie Corporation of New York and The Booth-Bricker Fund for their generous support of Life After High School 2023.