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The dead end kids: Young, unemployed and facing tough future

DeeJayH

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The dead end kids
The unemployment rate for young Americans has exploded to 52.2 percent -- a post-World War II high, according to the Labor Dept. -- meaning millions of Americans are staring at the likelihood that their lifetime earning potential will be diminished and, combined with the predicted slow economic recovery, their transition into productive members of society could be put on hold for an extended period of time.

And worse, without a clear economic recovery plan aimed at creating entry-level jobs, the odds of many of these young adults -- aged 16 to 24, excluding students -- getting a job and moving out of their parents' houses are long. Young workers have been among the hardest hit during the current recession -- in which a total of 9.5 million jobs have been lost.

that is a staggering amount of kids that a large portion will turn to crime. Does anybody know the average unemployment rate for this age group. When my kid gets home you can be sure he will be reading this
 
Sounds like gen x time 2
 
Some of my sibs are experiencing this. They can't find a job, even after getting their degrees, so they're going back for more education. The biggest problem seems to be that all the jobs want someone with experience, but you can't get experience without a job.
 
Tell em to join the army.
It's a guaranteed paycheck.
 
16 - 24 years old?

That seems a bit young to be keeping track of employment. Probably the 16 - 19 year olds are 90% unemployed.
 
Tell em to join the army.
It's a guaranteed paycheck.


That’s what got me into the Marine Corps and almost got me back in when I got out and still couldn’t find a job. Wasn’t much demand for Artillery Gunners (MOS 0811) in civilian life? :(
 
That’s what got me into the Marine Corps and almost got me back in when I got out and still couldn’t find a job. Wasn’t much demand for Artillery Gunners (MOS 0811) in civilian life? :(

I bet you could have found a gig with some drug cartel
 
Some of my sibs are experiencing this. They can't find a job, even after getting their degrees, so they're going back for more education. The biggest problem seems to be that all the jobs want someone with experience, but you can't get experience without a job.

The problem here is that the millions of experienced workers recently laid off are also going back to school. When everyone graduates companies will have a choice to pick between a 30-40 something graduate with 10 years work experience or a 25 year old graduate with no work experience.

It's going to be a hard road for current young college students and even harder on those that chose not to go to college.
 
16 - 24 years old?

That seems a bit young to be keeping track of employment. Probably the 16 - 19 year olds are 90% unemployed.
problem with the country today?

I have been gainfully employed since about 12
as was everybody I grew up with
 
problem with the country today?

I have been gainfully employed since about 12
as was everybody I grew up with

Hmmmm in my state would be illegal. I lied about age to get a gig at 13. Before that I mowed lawns.
 
Tell em to join the army.
It's a guaranteed paycheck.

I come from a military family, so they have considered this. My sister has been trying off and on to go into the Navy, but I don't think she really wants to. My brother has been having problems with the recruiters in his area telling him he can't get in because of his GED. My youngest brother is probably not going to be eligible because of all his medical problems, but he wants to join the Marines.
 
In Vancouver recently I met a guy who is 23 and just graduated with his degree in engineering. No one will hire him because he doesn't have at least 4 years experience, so now he works in a coffee shop. We've created a generation where university degrees are the status quo, but they don't really do much in the grand scheme. Degrees are the new high school diploma. People want experience, but companies won't hire you if you don't have it. Yet, you can't get experience if you aren't hired. For young people it's a horrendous catch 22.

Also, the trades industry is severely lacking in North America. When the babyboomers all go into retirement, there will be few to do the plumbing, electricity, mechanics, etc. Those are all potentially lucrative careers and the requirements for that kind of education are not as high. The problem is that so little emphasis is placed on the trades as potential careers in high school that people look down upon them. They are all taught to 'aim high' and go for degrees to become paper pushers in desk jobs.

We don't need more paper pushers, we need people with hands on skills.
 
Hmmmm in my state would be illegal. I lied about age to get a gig at 13. Before that I mowed lawns.

of course I was also mowing lawns, paper boy, taking garbage cans in/out, shoveling snow, raking leaves yada yada yada
 
Jeeze I wonder of folks might think about this allof those Good Paying Factory Jobs that have been sent out of North America wonder if that has anything to do with this hmmmm naya that wouldn't have anything to do with good enter level paying jobs.
 
The employment market is brutal for teens for a number of reasons:

1. Secular change: A growing share of jobs, particularly those paying higher wages, require at least a Bachelor's Degree. That trend has been ongoing for some time and it might have accelerated during the current recession. Worse, it occurs at a time when the educational attainment of U.S. youth has all but stopped growing and time-to-completion of college degrees has been lengthening.

2. The recession was the deepest in more than 60 years. Typically, the youngest workers (least experience) are among those who are the first to be laid off.

3. Until the economy has undergone sustained growth, many employers will likely be hesitant to add new workers to the payrolls. The first jobs growth for teens will likely be seen in temporary positions. Even then, holiday-related retail hiring of teens could be poor, especially if consumer spending growth remains subdued, as is likely, given the continuing deleveraging in the household sector.

4. The employment services industry is fragmented, inefficient, and poorly-constructed to really match prospective employees with employers, particularly with respect to younger workers.
 
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Being 24 and in Management is interesting since the way things are going, the Axe is only a hop, skip and a jump away.


I come from a military family, so they have considered this. My sister has been trying off and on to go into the Navy, but I don't think she really wants to. My brother has been having problems with the recruiters in his area telling him he can't get in because of his GED. My youngest brother is probably not going to be eligible because of all his medical problems, but he wants to join the Marines.

I wanted to go into the Airforce instead of college (which wouldve been interesting because I have a fear of heights) but my dad wouldnt let me because he said he didnt want me to experience the same living nightmare he did back in Vietnam.
 
Being 24 and in Management is interesting since the way things are going, the Axe is only a hop, skip and a jump away.




I wanted to go into the Airforce instead of college (which wouldve been interesting because I have a fear of heights) but my dad wouldnt let me because he said he didnt want me to experience the same living nightmare he did back in Vietnam.

Trust me things have change allot if you still desire to enter the US Military then go for it, I will support you as will most of the other folks here who have served or in my case work for DoD.
 
52.2

wow

just wow

right or wrong, fair or no, kiss the youth vote goodbye, president obama

elections in america are won and lost on ENTHUSIASM

an entire generation, in contraposition, is dispirited, despondent, depressed, despairing

the precise opposite of hope

one can only commiserate

and pray
 
52.2

wow

just wow

right or wrong, fair or no, kiss the youth vote goodbye, president obama

elections in america are won and lost on ENTHUSIASM

an entire generation, in contraposition, is dispirited, despondent, depressed, despairing

the precise opposite of hope

one can only commiserate

and pray

.......Nah,:mrgreen: better not.
 
There's also the matter of unjust constrictions on human capital acquisition by younger people because of age restrictions that hold them in a very specifically regimented form of compulsory schooling.
 
There's also the matter of unjust constrictions on human capital acquisition by younger people because of age restrictions that hold them in a very specifically regimented form of compulsory schooling.

this is an English only forum ;)
 
Not sure exactly how to take these numbers, as it's unclear how they're calculating it. I also can't find comparable numbers for previous years.

Considering that the majority of this age group is attending school full-time, I'm a bit skeptical of taking this as a sign of the apocalypse.
 
.......Nah,:mrgreen: better not.

have you learned yet the difference between a bill a law, don?

did the schoolhouse rock lesson take?

how's that OBAMA'S HEALTH CARE BILL coming along these days?
 
There's also the matter of unjust constrictions on human capital acquisition by younger people because of age restrictions that hold them in a very specifically regimented form of compulsory schooling.

Considering that most states only compel attendance through age 16, I doubt that's really affecting these numbers.
 
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