STATEWIDE DATA BRIEF · 2025

Opportunity Youth & Young Adults in Texas

A look at Texas youth ages 16–24 who are neither in school nor working — who they are, what disconnection costs, and how the state can help them reconnect.

Opportunity Youth & Young Adults (OYYA) are young people ages 16–24 who are neither enrolled in school nor working. They are Texas' future students, workers, parents, and community leaders — and every year a young person stays disconnected carries lasting costs for their earnings and for the state's workforce. Texas does not yet have a statewide definition of OYYA. Just as the Legislature defined chronic absenteeism in statute to measure and act on it, a shared definition of OYYA would let the state track these young people consistently and improve outcomes across its education, workforce, and human services systems.

Disconnection in Texas

Texas youth and young adults are disconnected at higher rates than the nation as a whole. Statewide, 13% of young people ages 16–24 — approximately 492,390 individuals — are neither in school nor working, compared to a national rate of 10.6%, or about 4,150,300 young people. That means more than 1 in 10 of the nation's Opportunity Youth lives in Texas. Nearly half a million young Texans who could be learning, earning, and contributing to the economy are disconnected from both. That isn't just a youth issue — it's a Texas workforce issue.

Who Are Texas' Opportunity Youth?

Opportunity Youth face multiple, overlapping barriers to reconnecting with school and work. Most notably, nearly one in four — 24% — has no high school diploma or GED, the most basic credential for further education and most entry-level jobs. Among OYYA ages 20–24, more than half (51%) have no postsecondary education at all. Many are also balancing adult responsibilities with limited support: 15% are parents, 24% receive SNAP assistance, and 41% have no health insurance. If Texas wants these young people in its workforce, it must build pathways that recognize the realities of their lives — starting with a clear route back to a diploma or GED.

Share of Texas youth ages 16–24 who are neither enrolled in school nor working. Source: IPUMS American Community Survey, 2025.

Disconnection Today Means Lower Wages Tomorrow

The longer a young Texan stays disconnected, the greater the long-term economic cost. Texas young adults who were out of school and work for a year or more between ages 16 and 24 earn $12,000–$13,600 less per year after age 24 than peers who stayed connected. Those gaps persist: by age 28, young adults who experienced disconnection earn approximately $16,400 less per year than their continuously connected peers. Every young person Texas keeps connected, or reconnects more quickly, has the potential for a very different economic trajectory. Early intervention isn't just good youth policy; it's workforce and economic policy.

A Fragmented System of Support

At least six state agencies touch the lives of Opportunity Youth: the Health and Human Services Commission (Medicaid, SNAP and TANF, behavioral health), the Department of Family and Protective Services (transition services and extended foster care), the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (juvenile justice and reentry), the Texas Workforce Commission (WIOA Youth, adult education and literacy, vocational rehabilitation, apprenticeships), the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (access, completion, and financial aid), and the Texas Education Agency (dropout recovery, GED, and adult high school diploma programs). Young people don't experience their lives in agency silos, but too often that is how government serves them. Federal support is also shrinking: Texas' combined WIOA Adult, Youth, and Dislocated Worker allocations fall 5.9% in FY 2027, from $198.3 million to $186.6 million — about $11.7 million less — and 23 of 28 Local Workforce Development Boards will receive less. The challenge isn't creating another program; it's making the resources Texas already has work better together.

Policy Priorities

To keep young Texans connected and reconnect those who aren't, CHILDREN AT RISK proposes the following policy recommendations:

• Establish a Statewide Definition of Opportunity Youth and Young Adults (OYYA) to create consistent identification, reporting, and policy approaches for young people who are disconnected from education and employment.
• Develop a Statewide Opportunity Youth and Young Adult Strategy to expand education and career pathways, increase credential attainment, strengthen workforce participation, address barriers to employment and education, and improve long-term economic stability.
• Strengthen Cross-Agency Coordination and Accountability by establishing a cross-agency OYYA advisory structure and designated ombudsman to align systems, address service gaps and barriers, and improve outcomes for OYYA.
• Track & Report Employment Outcomes for Young Adults Transitioning from State Systems. Young people transitioning from foster care or the juvenile justice system can face significant barriers to education and employment. Texas needs greater visibility into whether workforce programs are successfully connecting these young people to jobs and helping them remain employed.
• Strengthen Transitions Between School Districts & Local Workforce Development Boards. Young people who leave high school without graduating are at increased risk of becoming disconnected from both education and employment. Texas can better use existing education and workforce infrastructure to identify these young people and connect them with opportunities to reengage with school and work.

Note: Opportunity Youth & Young Adults (OYYA) are defined as youth ages 16–24 who are neither enrolled in school nor working. Sources: IPUMS American Community Survey, 2025; Ray Marshall Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Evaluating Services for Texas Opportunity Youth (ESTOY), using data from UT Austin's Texas Education Research Center; Texas Workforce Commission, FY 2026 / FY 2027 WIOA Allocations.

For more information contact Mandi Kimball, VP & Chief Government Relations Officer, at mkimball@childrenatrisk.org (512-785-7132).