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Is taking a gap year between high school and postsecondary education beneficial or detrimental in the long term? Economic and Social Reports. Statistics Canada.

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Key Takeaway
Taking a gap year between high school and postsecondary degree programs is correlated with reduced future earnings.

 

Taking a gap year between secondary and post-secondary studies has long been a goal for many students. On the positive side, a gap year could help students become more mature before starting postsecondary studies. Having an additional year of work or life experience could also help them make more informed decisions about their future career, possibly leading to superior labour market outcomes later.

On the other hand, taking a gap year could involve substantial opportunity costs, such as accepting low-paying work, or perhaps not working at all. Statistics Canada investigated the long-term labour market implications associated with taking a gap year in education. Using data from the Youth in Transition Survey, which covers ages 17 to 31, research findings suggest a substantial negative association between taking gap year and cumulative earnings for those who enrolled in a degree program.

In contrast, taking a gap year was positively associated with earnings for men enrolled in non-degree post-secondary programs ($70,416, or 14.6%, more). There was no association for their female counterparts.

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