Leavers were less likely than graduates to enjoy school, to find their classes interesting, to get along with their teachers, and to participate in extracurricular activities. Leavers were also more likely to have difficultly in class and core subjects, such as English, French, and mathematics. Peer attitudes may also be a contributing factor as leavers had a significantly lower proportion of friends who thought that completing school was important.

Part-time jobs have a positive effect on students if they are limited to 15 hours or less per week. The students who had more "intensive" work schedules, especially males, were more likely to leave school.

Effect of leaving school on transitions into employment

Leaving school has serious consequences for individuals and, potentially, for the economy. In this section, we look at four aspects of transition to the labour market: employment, quality of employment and income, types of job search activities, and future prospects in the labour market.

Leavers are more likely to be unemployed or not in the labour force than graduates. Female leavers are at a particular disadvantage in terms of employment: only 50% had a job, compared with 63% male leavers and 75% of graduates, both male and female (Figure 16).

The difference in income between leavers and graduates is only marginal. This may well be one reason why leavers do not perceive a significant benefit from staying in school. Although they work long hours (26% of male leavers worked 50 or more hours a week and 47% worked 40 to 49 hours; ratios were similar for graduates), both leavers and graduates reported low earnings, mostly due to the lower-level entry jobs available to them at their current level of education. In the previous 12 months, 51% of male leavers and graduates had earned a total personal income of $10,000 or less. Only 12% of the male leavers and 11% of graduates had personal incomes over $20,000. Female graduates and leavers earned even less. However, leavers' total personal incomes more often came from unemployment insurance, social assistance, or welfare and family allowances than did graduates'.