Changes in the economy and educational expectations have made the transition to employment more complex for today’s young adults (Danziger and Ratner 2010). This study examines the educational attainment and economic activities of today’s young adults compared with previous generations. We focus on the young adult civilian labor force, defined here as 25 to 34 year olds who are employed, looking for work, or unemployed.  We compare three age cohorts of young adult workers to understand how their experiences in the labor market have changed over time.