Number of Working Youth Dropped by Almost Half since 2000
Patrice Cromwell, Director of Economic Development & Integration Initiatives
Nearly 6.5 million U.S. teens and young adults are not in school and jobless. This veers them toward a path of chronic underemployment, perhaps even unemployment, and failure to gain the skills employers want in the 21st century. This data comes from Youth and Work: Restoring Teen and Young Adult Connections to Opportunity, a new KIDS COUNT report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Many young people from ages 16 to 24 face numerous obstacles. Not only do they lack higher skills required for the well-paying jobs, but they face great competition from older workers for the already scarce entry-level jobs. They often don’t graduate from high school on time or are ready for college, decreasing their employment options. Further, many contend with hurdles like growing up in poverty, having few working adult role models, attending low-performing schools, and living with a single parent.
The lack of education, opportunity and connection to school or work has long-term implications. Disconnected youth may become adults unable to achieve financial stability and without employment prospects, can present a significant cost as government spends more to support them. In addition, the latest U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey shows more than 20 percent, or 1.4 million of these youths, have children of their own, which means their inability to find work and build careers can perpetuate an intergenerational cycle of poverty.
The report emphasizes the need to provide multiple, flexible pathways to success for disconnected young people and find ways to reengage high school dropouts. It also advocates creating opportunities for youth that allow them to gain early job experience through such avenues as community service, internships and summer and part-time work. Its major recommendations include:
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A national youth employment strategy that streamlines systems and makes financial aid, funding and support services more accessible and flexible; and encourages more businesses to hire young people.
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Aligning resources within communities and among public and private funders to create collaborative efforts to support youth.
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Exploring new ways to create jobs through social enterprises such as Goodwill and microenterprises, with the support of public and private investors.
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Employer-sponsored earn-and-learn programs that foster the talent and skills that businesses require — and develop the types of employees they need.
For more information, visit www.aecf.org.