``Doctor'' Top Job of Choice Among Teens for Third Consecutive Year; Huge ``Earnings Expectations Gap'' Between Boys and Girls Also Found in Nationwide Survey.

Business Editors/Education & Health/Medical Writers

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 16, 2002

Nearly two out of three boys think they will make at least $1 million by age 40, yet only one out of three girls believe the same thing.

At the same time, nearly a quarter of girls (24 percent) believe they will make less than $50,000 per year by age 40, compared to 11 percent of boys who think so. According to results from the largest student poll conducted in its history, Junior Achievement has also learned that the profession of "doctor" is the most popular job choice among today's teens.

The economics of staying in school do not appear to have been lost on many teens. The nationwide poll of 1,559 middle grades and high school students also revealed a teen population seemingly well aware of the education typically required for entry into their ideal career. Slightly more than three out of four students (77 percent) believe at least a four-year college degree is required to attain their ideal job, of which 31 percent believe a graduate degree will also be required. Only 2.1 percent of students think they can attain their ideal job without a high school diploma.

While there may not be a shortage of would-be physicians in the next few decades (at least one out of 10 students say they most want to be a doctor someday, echoing similar findings from a 2000 and 2001 poll on the same topic), student interest in other medical fields such as physical therapy and dentistry did not fare as well (0.5 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively). However, the business world appears to have numerous young recruits already waiting for their turn to enter the workforce. The profession of "businessperson" or role of "business owner" was the second most popular career path (with 8.9 percent of students saying so), followed by "professional athlete" (7.5 percent), "teacher" (6.6 percent), "entertainer" (6.1 percent), and "computer professional" and "lawyer" (both at 5.3 percent).

Despite recent national events, today's students are remarkably confident in their ability to one day attain their ideal careers. Survey results indicate that 30 percent of all students believe they will "definitely" secure their ideal job, 37 percent say they are "pretty sure," and 31 percent say "maybe." Less than three percent of students believe it is "not likely."

No matter what profession they one day choose, teens will likely favor a job that allows them to spend more time with family and to have fun. Survey results reveal that more than 60 percent of today's students would rather have a career that allows them to spend time with family and have fun, even when confronted with earning less money.

Sponsored by Monster.com and co-sponsored by The News Corp., the National Job Shadow Day Coalition aims to further student career exploration by pairing young people with on-the-job "hosts" in various workplaces. The effort kicks off on Feb. 1, 2002, or Groundhog Job Shadow Day. Last year, more than one million students were able to visit more than 100,000 workplaces throughout the nation. The coalition includes America's Promise -- The Alliance for Youth, Junior Achievement, and the Society for Human Resource Management.

The 2002 JA Interprise Poll(TM) on Kids and Careers was conducted in October 2001 by Junior Achievement in the classrooms of Atlanta; Baltimore; Columbia, S.C.; Detroit; Kingsport, Tenn.; Ft. Wayne, Ind.; Lancaster, Pa.; Midland, Mich.; Reading, Pa.; San Antonio; San Diego; St. Louis; Stamford, Conn.; and Wisconsin. Based on the total sample of middle grades and high school students nationwide, the margin of sampling error is +/- 2.5 percentage points. The survey is part of an ongoing series of surveys on students' views of economic issues. To read full results from the survey, visit www.ja.org/interprise/execsummary.html. For more information, contact Edwin Bodensiek at 719/540-6297 or [e-mail].

About Junior Achievement

Junior Achievement is the world's largest and fastest-growing organization dedicated to educating young people about business, economics and free enterprise. Through age-appropriate curricula, JA programs begin at the elementary school level, teaching children how they can impact the world around them as individuals, workers and consumers. JA programs continue through the middle and high school grades, preparing students for additional key economic and workforce issues they will face in the future. Today JA reaches more than four million students through 156 offices nationwide and nearly two million students in 112 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org.