Only 45% of young people have a job, ages 16-24?

I came across this article below and the number of young people working is what caught my attention.

nationaljournal.com...

More than 17 percent of 16-to-24-year-olds who are looking for work can’t find a job, a rate that is close to a 30-year high.

Yes, that sounds bad, but then there's this.

The employment-to-population ratio for that demographic—the percentage of young people who are working—has plunged to 45 percent.

So if I understand this correctly, less than half of our young people have a job? Im not 100% sure this article is accurate and have looked around for other articles on this and havent been able to find anything yet. Anyone know if this number is true?

reply to post by buni11687


Isn't it a good thing they are still studying at that age, rather than working?

As for the 17% who are actually looking and still can't find work, that could have something to do with them having no work experience, and also maybe no experience in an interview or writing a resume. When times are tough and unemployment is high it may take them a bit longer than more experienced people, yet still 83% are managing to find work just fine.

That sounds about right , I have a 22 year old who has a live in girl friend thats 19 and they have no job.
But dont you have to look for one to find one?
The young folks today seem to sleep all day, stay up all night,
drive free trucks, dirt bikes. have free phones, data service , electric, cable or sat, get free food. why on earth would they want to look for a job????
Would'nt that mean they would have to spend there own money to pay for the things they think they must have?

I must add in my day young folks couldnt wait to get out of the house and work !
I was workin 60to 70 hours a week at Age 15 , .

reply to post by hbarker


I would have to agree with this article... A friend of mine, and myself are both unemployed... Alot of our friends from school who actually went to college are in the same boat... hard to find anything besides mcdonalds or walmart...

The job market sucks in my area atleast

Yeah. That's not necessarily bad or surprising. Kids are just going straight into college to put off dealing with the #ty job market.

reply to post by hbarker

I'm 20 and I've been looking for a job for eight months now without any luck. Its still a # situation even if you're actually trying to get a job.

so i mean from reading what some have had to say already. Are there truly jobs out there or is there just selective hiring going on by employers who know the ball is in there court and can almost do anything. and who are just looking for experienced individuals.

The odd parts about the unemployment rates is that the MSM parrots the U3 ratios which also have that magic government math to create the illusions of a recovering economy. The magic bullet in new calculations is the birth/death ratio (from the Bureau of Labor Statistics website. I fail to see how births and deaths have a direct effect on working demographics, but there it is. Another statistic they fail to report is the U6 figures, showing unemployed and underemployed (people who are working less than full time and are seeking full time). This link shows the unemployment figures from 1900-2009, noting the emphasis of the Great Depression.
In trying to understand the real numbers, you could safely DOUBLE the U3 and U6 numbers to get an accurate sense of the current economy. In ignoring the birth/death ratio they somehow figure in to the unemployment numbers, the real unemployment rate is closer to 18% and the U6 numbers are closer to 30%. Remember, when people stop looking for work or their benifits expire, they fall off the statistical formula.
On a referencial note, my nephew is working a 'full time' job of 30 hrs a week now and has been looking for a supplemental part time job for many months. This is in Fla, so since tourism is dying down, those jobs vanish and those displaced workers are working other jobs.

I guess it's just easier to say everyone is just lazy than look at the cold reality of the job market, wages, cost of living and the overall employee/employer relationship in America today.

reply to post by buni11687


Somehow I ALWAYS wind up in the minority... lol

Originally posted by BirdOfillOmen
Yeah. That's not necessarily bad or surprising. Kids are just going straight into college to put off dealing with the #ty job market.

When I was in school I was working.

And now that I'm working, I'm back in school.

People forgot how to multitask?

Originally posted by My.mind.is.mine

Originally posted by BirdOfillOmen
Yeah. That's not necessarily bad or surprising. Kids are just going straight into college to put off dealing with the #ty job market.

When I was in school I was working.

And now that I'm working, I'm back in school.

People forgot how to multitask?

I'm saying that the students and their parents are freaking out. The students may not put a genuine effort into getting a job because their parents have prioritized their education and are covering expenses for them.

Originally posted by BirdOfillOmen

Originally posted by My.mind.is.mine

Originally posted by BirdOfillOmen
Yeah. That's not necessarily bad or surprising. Kids are just going straight into college to put off dealing with the #ty job market.

When I was in school I was working.

And now that I'm working, I'm back in school.

People forgot how to multitask?

I'm saying that the students and their parents are freaking out. The students may not put a genuine effort into getting a job because their parents have prioritized their education and are covering expenses for them.

I see what you're saying, but I can't help but think that's a part of the problem. Parents convering expenses this late in life can't have a positive outcome in the long run. Work ethic is built by..... working.... hard.

Originally posted by My.mind.is.mine

Originally posted by BirdOfillOmen

Originally posted by My.mind.is.mine

Originally posted by BirdOfillOmen
Yeah. That's not necessarily bad or surprising. Kids are just going straight into college to put off dealing with the #ty job market.

When I was in school I was working.

And now that I'm working, I'm back in school.

People forgot how to multitask?

I'm saying that the students and their parents are freaking out. The students may not put a genuine effort into getting a job because their parents have prioritized their education and are covering expenses for them.

I see what you're saying, but I can't help but think that's a part of the problem. Parents convering expenses this late in life can't have a positive outcome in the long run. Work ethic is built by..... working.... hard.

I agree. But I really think this is just the case here. I personally just want to get out of my parent's house and get my own life started.

reply to post by BirdOfillOmen


Yea I feel you. Good luck bro. It's hard out here, so do what you can.

You know its a cliche but I tell anyone under 110 years old at every opportunity "Do what you Love " and all else will fall into place.

We all should work with no exceptions (except for major disability if disabled person does not want to work due to pain) but what we shouldn't do is waste a sacred life doing something we do not Love.

Get a job save save save and buy that Fender Strat or that Micro Brewery or that Sea Kayak that 's gonna take you around the world, work should be about improving your situation not just existing....study is good , but just remember , not all study is going to improve your life , espesciallly if your soul isn't into what you are studying.

Just don't waste time , for time will surely waste you.