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What Happens When American Teenagers Can't Find Work
National Journal ^ | April 9, 2014 | Nancy Cook

Posted on 04/09/2014 12:32:34 PM PDT by C19fan

Most Americans love to reminisce about their first paying job, whether it was scooping ice cream, babysitting, or working behind a retail counter. It was rarely glamorous, but earning that first paycheck was a point of pride and marked a milestone in a teenager's life.

By the time Andrew Sum entered his teenage years, he'd already held a job delivering newspapers. Now as an economist, one of his chief concerns is the state of the labor market for today's teenagers. The employment rates for teenagers, ages 16 to 19, plummeted from 45 percent in 2000 to just 26 percent in 2011, according to Sum's recent research for the Brookings Institution. That's the lowest rate of teen employment in the post-World War II era.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationaljournal.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: andrewsum; immigration; teenagers; work
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To: Vaquero

That’s why my retirement includes borrowing up the hilt for real estate and what money I do have is “PM” money (junk silver, actually). I lived through the inflation of the late 70’s and early 80’s, I saw first hand people who’s retirement was in low performing investments. They became so worthless that some of them had to come back into the work force. You can live comfortably on $1500 a month when a gallon of gas is $.30 a meal at McDonalds is less than a buck and your mortgage is $150 a month. When all three triple (or go up 20 fold, as mortgages did), your $1500 monthly retirement payout won’t pay your mortgage.


21 posted on 04/09/2014 12:51:33 PM PDT by cuban leaf
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To: C19fan

My son started his first job just after the 4th of July this past summer. Working in the produce department at Wal-Mart.
He went through the interview process and a computer generated Q and A prior to a face-to-face interview. Starting pay $8.56 an hour. He is earning his own money
and saving it. His performance review after 6 months was good and customers have sought out his supervisor or manager
to compliment him on his helpfulness. All in all a good start.


22 posted on 04/09/2014 12:52:02 PM PDT by Maine Mariner
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To: Gen.Blather

This is exactly why I won’t hire the kids from the local college that my wife says are looking desperately for any income. I need the help to clear the property and put up a couple of buildings. But I just can’t take the legal risk.


23 posted on 04/09/2014 12:52:40 PM PDT by cuban leaf
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To: C19fan

The problem is the minimum wage.

Get rid of it.

Then, you will see jobs that are worth less than the current minimum wage start popping up all over, just waiting for high school kids to fill them. Like it used to be.

Like it SHOULD be.


24 posted on 04/09/2014 12:53:32 PM PDT by Nik Naym (It's not my fault... I have compulsive smartass disorder.)
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To: cuban leaf

Every single person was white. No blacks (none in that area at that time), no hispanics, but quite a few Asians, believe it or not.


That was worded poorly and contradictory. I meant that they were mostly white. the rest were Asian. Also, my best friend there, second generation Japanese, ended up marrying one of the white girls there.

He eventually became a dentist.


25 posted on 04/09/2014 12:54:49 PM PDT by cuban leaf
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To: cuban leaf

“But I just can’t take the legal risk.”

I have a couple of buddies I’ve known for years that I trade labor with. Probably not a huge risk there, but I don’t really know.


26 posted on 04/09/2014 12:55:12 PM PDT by Gen.Blather
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To: C19fan

Most don’t look for jobs. Or want them. They like getting weekly handouts from mom and dad. Or getting it through ill-means.


27 posted on 04/09/2014 12:56:04 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: PGR88

Hang on now, breaching the border is an act love..Right Jeb you RINO.


28 posted on 04/09/2014 12:56:12 PM PDT by gibsonguy
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To: C19fan
What Happens When American Teenagers Can't Find Work

They will make good cannon fodder for Islam.

29 posted on 04/09/2014 12:58:12 PM PDT by Navy Patriot (Join the Democrats, it's not Fascism when WE do it, and the Constitution and law mean what WE say.)
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To: Maine Mariner

That’s great. My son started his own lawn business at 13. He also cleaned out the garages of houses in our subdivision, sold the junk on ebay and took a cut of the money. That’s enterprising. Then he decided to be a hockey referee. They can make upwards of 50 bucks a game for an hours work. He would do 2-3 of those on the weekends.

He is now in a business program in college.


30 posted on 04/09/2014 1:06:30 PM PDT by EQAndyBuzz ("Heck of a reset there, Hillary")
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To: cuban leaf

“The way to crush the bourgeoisie is to grind them between the millstones of taxation and inflation.”
Vladimir Lenin (and by default, zer0bama)


31 posted on 04/09/2014 1:07:15 PM PDT by Vaquero (Don't pick a fight with an old guy. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.)
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To: C19fan

they get high, and live off there parents....oh I forgot video games.....that sounds like me,,but im 59


32 posted on 04/09/2014 1:08:50 PM PDT by nikotal09
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...

> The employment rates for teenagers, ages 16 to 19, plummeted from 45 percent in 2000 to just 26 percent in 2011... the lowest rate of teen employment in the post-World War II era.

Thanks C19fan.


33 posted on 04/09/2014 1:10:48 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: C19fan

Conservatives love to reminisce about first-time jobs. Libs love to reminisce about their school years. Not significant, no, not significant.


34 posted on 04/09/2014 1:16:04 PM PDT by miss marmelstein (Richard Lives Yet!)
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To: SunkenCiv

Could it be that those entry level jobs are being filled with adults that need jobs because of failed economic plans served up from an Admin that has no clue about business?


35 posted on 04/09/2014 1:16:58 PM PDT by DocJhn
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To: miss marmelstein

Astute observation. True in my case.


36 posted on 04/09/2014 1:17:28 PM PDT by gibsonguy
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To: C19fan
"What Happens When American Teenagers Can't Find Work"

Eventually, some of them become more self-sufficient and produce useful things.


37 posted on 04/09/2014 1:18:25 PM PDT by familyop (We Baby Boomers are croaking in an avalanche of corruption smelled around the planet.)
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To: Nik Naym
The problem is the minimum wage.

Get with the pogrom. The purpose of the minimum wage is to attract more illegals.
38 posted on 04/09/2014 1:24:57 PM PDT by 867V309 (Obammy = LIAR)
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To: DocJhn

Gosh, y’think? :’) The Obama Tax Hikes, to go with The Obama Recession.


39 posted on 04/09/2014 1:31:48 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: C19fan

I see states, or even municipalities, taking advantage of this. Specifically that by federal law there is a sub-minimum wage for those under 20.

“A minimum wage of not less than $4.25 may be paid to employees under the age of 20 for their first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment with any employer as long as their work does not displace other workers.”

So why not get a few hundred unemployed kids, get shovels for a quarter of them, take them to a public park with compacted ground, and in four shifts, have them turn the soil. Shovel for 15 minutes and rest for 45 minutes for eight hours. $34 to each one for a day’s labor.


40 posted on 04/09/2014 1:38:03 PM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy (WoT News: Rantburg.com)
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