Refers to young people between the ages of 16 - 24 who are not enrolled in school or participating in the labor market. There are 5-6  million, or one in nine members of this age group in the U.S. Despite many young people’s aspirations to advance and secure family wage jobs, make connections in civic engagement, and improve their communities, once they have experienced disconnection from school and work, research indicates it is unlikely they will be able to meet these aspirations, as only 1% of youth who have been disconnected will ever earn an associate's degree or higher, compared to 36% of the general population.