High school students who feel that they are not succeeding in school often drop out before graduating and go to work. Last year, however, the city' s high school dropout rate was significantly lower than the previous year' s rate. This is encouraging evidence that the program instituted two years ago to improve the morale of high school students has begun to take effect to reduce dropouts.
If true about the last year, the statement 'There was a recession that caused a high level of unemployment in the city' most seriously weakens the argument.