One In Three California Teens Can’t Land A Job

One In Three California Teens Can't Land A Job

By Clarissa Wei
Los Angeles Weekly, July 21, 2010
http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/community/one-in-three-
californian-teens/

According to a article by California Watch, one in three California teenagers cannot get a job. Though teens from ages 16 and 19 generally face the highest rate of unemployment, the teen unemployment rate in California is more than double what it was back in 2000.

While 25.7 percent of teens nationwide suffer from unemployment, 34.5 percent of California teen workers were out of a job in June.

According to the article, the figures reflect a dramatic shift in the American workforce. For the first time since 1948, employees old enough to retire outnumber teenagers.

Alicia Munnel, director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, said that teenagers lose out because in comparison to the elderly, teens are typically less-educated and, of course, have less experience.

Competition may not be the only reason why many teens are without jobs. According to a report released by Bureau of Labor Statistics economist Teresa L. Morisi, participation in the workforce has also declined during the past decade because more teens are taking unpaid internships and enrolling in summer school.

Some researchers are concerned about the bleak job prospects.

'The decline is worrisome because a large body of research shows that those who do not hold a job as teenagers often fail to develop the work habits necessary to function in the labor market, creating significant negative consequence for them later in life,' researcher Steven Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies told The Washington Times.

EDITORS NOTE: CIS research on youth employment is available online at: http://cis.org/teen-unemployment