Posted on 01/24/2014 4:13:30 AM PST by YourAdHere
Black teens were the worst hit by the recent Great Recession in the labor market, the capstone to a decade of plummeting employment rates among young workers, according to a recent report by the Alternative Schools Network.
According to “Trends in Teen Employment in Chicago, Illinois and the United States,” any gains made by the “War on Poverty” on the rate of employment among African-American teenagers were erased over the past decade.
Teens and young adults across the United States “have encountered extraordinarily severe declines in their employment rates—unmatched by any other age group,” the report stated. “While the economy appears to be growing at a stronger rate following the Great Recession, youth employment has seen little to no growth.”
Nationally, the teen employment rate fell from 36 percent in pre-recession 2006 to just 27 percent in 2012, the lowest employment rate among that group since World War II, the report found.
But according to the most recent jobs report from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, in December the employment rate among teens spiraled even farther, to 20.2 percent.
Among African-American teens, and particularly among those from low-income households earning less than $20,000 annually, the prospects were even more dismal. In 2006, 25 percent of young Blacks were employed, compared to 18 percent in 2012. Across the nation in 2012, only 13 percent of Black teens from low-income households were employed.
Black male teens faced particularly long odds of obtaining a job. For example, in Chicago 92 percent of all Black male teens ages 16 to 19 were jobless in 2012.
Advocacy groups have long argued that high rates of unemployment among teenagers and young adults decrease their future employability and darkens their economic prospects. That trend also feeds high rates of violence and delinquency, all of which limit the socioeconomic development of their communities.
“The exclusion of teens from the job market is likely to continue and brings with it bleak economic prospects, limited earnings potential, and significant taxpayer burden for the magnitude of dropouts who are jobless in their youth,” the report concluded. “Investment must be made to create 2014 summer and year-round employment opportunities for teens and young adults in order to have a substantial effect on the record youth joblessness.
“Job creation for teens and young adults has to be an immediate priority,” the report found.
I’m shocked. I’d think employers would be jumping all over themselves to have the Travon Martin type foul mouthed thugs added to the payroll.
92%
Interesting. 92% is also the percent chance that Rahm Emmanuel will be re-elected mayor.
Rahm Emmanuel and the Half-black president?
Good point.
A significant number of those “unemployed” do not WANT to be employed. They just want their free stuff - and promises of more free stuff to come.
Of course it will help. Amnesty will place large numbers of illegal immigrants on the dole. Then, as Her Majesty Pelosi says: "unemployment compensation strengthens the economy". We will have such a strong economy that no one will have to work. Won't it be great!
many black youth refuse to do well in school.
can’t look like an uncle tom
unprepared to deal with life they turn to drugs and crime.
oh well.
Black teens who are being “hit hard” due to the current economic conditions would more than likely, be hit just as hard in good times. I am NOT speaking of all black youths. Unfortunately, many of them have found it more lucrative to sell drugs, rob, steal and collect welfare than get an education and keep their noses clean. Once again,
I am not speaking of those who actually see the light at the end of the tunnel but of those who have been groomed into a life of being a “taker”.
“I could only afford two pairs of Nike Jordans”
“I could only afford 30” rims”
“I could only have two of my teeth gold plated.”
“I didn’t have enough money to get my toes pedicured.”
“I guess I’ll have to keep my Galaxy S3 for now”
“I hope the price of Skittles and Codeine doesn’t go up”
I call BS. What is the change in rate of employment in that group, compared with any other group? That tells whether or not the economic upturn of the Obama administration has disproportionately affected any particular demographic.
Question I always want to ‘aks’ when I see stuff like this is if over half of black kids don’t even bother to graduate high school, what kind of awesome jobs are people expecting they should “get”
What a totally schizophrenic article. They’ve left out the president’s names, but once you put them in....
Translated. Johnson’s war on poverty saved us (really?) but Bush’s evil recession destroyed us, and Obama’s saved the economy, but somehow no one is hiring our kids, and the economy is still terrible as far as we are concerned, but it is still better because Obama has made it better...
But they get free stuff and will be reliable lifelong democrat voters.
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