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High school students have hard row to hoe; jobs are very scarce

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
May 25th, 2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

As summer break approaches, many high school students turn to look for some form of gainful employment over the coming months to help with new clothes, recreation and putting something away in the bank. They have an especially tough row to hoe in today's economy. With unemployment rampant, the notion of finding a job, even part-time is very unlikely.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online. - According to Census Bureau data released by the Employment Policies Institute, the state of California leads all other states in terms of teenage unemployment. Statistics show that among teens that are able to work in the Golden State, 36.2 percent are unable to find employment.

Only the District of Columbia, with its 51.7 percent teen unemployment rate, surpasses California.

Teen unemployment rose in 17 states and Washington, D.C., between April 2011 and April 2012, and fell in 32 states.

The teen unemployment rate nationwide stands at 24.9 percent, and has averaged above 20 percent for over 40 months. The number of employed teens fell by 14,000 from March to April 2012.

"Although the jobs outlook has improved slightly for summer 2012, teens searching for summer employment are still faced with more competition and less opportunity than past generations," Michael Saltsman, research fellow at the EPI said in a statement.

According to EPI analysis, when figures are broadened to include discouraged teens that have ceased to actively look for work but would still like a job, nearly every state in the union experiences a jump in their teen unemployment rates.

Economists have shown that the value of a summer job goes beyond a paycheck. Research published in the Journal of Labor Economics found that high school students who worked part-time had a greater likelihood of higher wages and better benefits in future employment, as compared to their classmates that didn't have a job.

"Missing out on summer jobs deprives teens of the opportunity to learn responsibility and important skills not taught in the classroom," Saltsman adds.

Nationwide, teen unemployment breaks down into these states:

1. California 36.2 percent
2. South Carolina 31.2 percent
3. Rhode Island 29.8 percent
4. Washington 29.0 percent
5. Arizona 29.0 percent
6. Nevada 28.8 percent
7. Idaho 28.4 percent
8. North Carolina 28.2 percent
9. Missouri 27.7 percent
10. Louisiana 27.6 percent
** District of Columbia 51.7 percent
*Note: Rankings based on unrounded figures.

© 2012, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

Article brought to you by: Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)