This study investigated the relationship between employment status among high school juniors and the following: (1) grade point average (GPA); (2) scores on Brown and Holtzman's Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes (SSHA--W. F. Brown and W. H. Holtzman, 1967); (3) the level of participation in extracurricular activities; (4) plans for postsecondary education; (5) number of hours worked; (6) race; (7) gender; and (8) socioeconomic level. Multiple regression was used to analyze the data obtained from 400 high school juniors (200 working and 200 not working during the fall of 1988). Subjects were enrolled in public high schools in a southern city. There was a significant relationship between employment status and GPA and SSHA scores, with a lower mean GPA and lower SSHA scores among working students than among non-working students. The collective variables of number of hours worked, gender, race, and socioeconomic level also had a significant relationship with SSHA scores. The findings suggest that administrative personnel need to evaluate the merits and disadvantages of student employment. Although the American work ethic is admirable, the trade-offs may be too costly for high school students. Five tables present the study data. (Author/SLD)