Work for the Future: The Unemployment of America's Youth and What We Must Do About It

Abstract

Since young workers are disproportionately impacted by increases in national unemployment, and they are at a crucial stage of development in the transition from school to work, it is imperative that unemployment relief address the issues specific to this demographic. This paper argues for an overhaul of the United States government’s efforts at reaching unemployed youth before it develops into a permanent problem. Section II presents an analysis of the causes and consequences of high youth unemployment to illustrate why young people, especially the already economically disadvantaged youth, should be at the forefront of unemployment concerns. Section III focuses on current unemployment reduction programs and policies and their strengths and weaknesses. Section IV culminates the paper with policy recommendations on how to better address the unique issues of youth unemployment. [From Introduction]