Earlier this week we learned that the unemployment rate continued to climb in December, breaking records in Washington, DC for the number of jobless residents. (DC had a 12.1 percent unemployment rate last month, the highest it’s been since the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics started tracking unemployment numbers in 1976.) While those numbers show our region is behind the national average (10 percent), there is one group that’s faring even worse. The teen unemployment rate climbed to about 28 percent last fall, making young workers one of the hardest hit groups in the country. And for minority teens from low-income families, the likelihood of finding a job is even lower.
The Facts
According to this Time.com article, “the job market is tough for everyone. But this recession has become a jobs disaster for 16-to-19-year-olds.” The article takes a look at teen unemployment and the impact it will have on our economy now, and in the future. Here’s a look at some of the facts:
* Washington, DC has the worst teen unemployment in the country – 53 percent.
* 17 out of every 100 high school students have jobs. 9 out of 100 African-American high school students have jobs. Four out of 100 African-American students from low-income families have jobs.
* Because of the tanking economy, older employees are working longer and settling for jobs that used to be held primarily by teens.
* A store manager at a Best Buy in DC said he’s more likely to hire one of the older, experienced, former office workers who apply for jobs at his store than a teenager.
While it would be best for our economy for everyone who wants a job to have one, the impact of teen unemployment goes beyond immediate dollars and cents. According to the article, students that have jobs are less likely to become teen parents, and experts say growing teen unemployment “could lead to an American workforce that lacks the skills to compete with the rest of the world.” Teens with jobs also tend to earn more later in life.
Solving the Problem
Job training programs are now being used to tackle teen unemployment. Jubilee Jobs – a Washington Area Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner that was mentioned in the Time article – is seeing record high numbers of teenagers coming to them for job placement help. However, of the 42 students they trained last year, 11 were able to find jobs.
Meanwhile, organizations like the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship work with students on self-sufficiency. NFTE – Greater Washington helps 11-to-20-year-olds identify needs in their communities and turn those needs into opportunities for entrepreneurship. “In a time of economic turmoil and unemployment it is crucial that we prepare kids to make it in the market economy with an entrepreneurial mindset and key financial literacy skills,” says Julie Silard Kantor, Executive Director of NFTE – Greater Washington and National Vice President, Government Affairs.
It’s been reported that President Obama will focus on jobs in his State of the Union address tonight. Given the current state of the country, it’s unlikely that jobs for teenagers will be featured in his speech, but it can remain on our priority lists. Eventually, the economy will recover. When it does, all of us should be ready.
Photo credit: teenmoneymakingideas.com
