As Ontario's economy improves, average employment rates are returning to their historical levels. Yet for those without a high school diploma, the recession has not ended. While there has always been a correlation between educational attainment and employment rates, at no time has the relationship been so apparent. Individuals without a high school diploma are now twice as likely to be unemployed as they were twenty years ago, downtime between jobs is greater, the hours worked are fewer and the probability of needing government income support is significantly higher. While Ontario has made significant gains in raising high school attainment rates, there are still over 900,000 working-age adults without high school diplomas.