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Monday, April 4, 2011 | 4:15 p.m.
Sun Coverage
Nevada had the fifth highest unemployment rate for teenagers during the 12-month period that ended in January, according to an analysis of numbers collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The figure calculated by the Washington, D.C.-based Employment Policies Institute placed the Nevada teen unemployment rate at 32.9 percent. Georgia led the way with a rate of 37.3 percent followed by California, South Carolina and Washington state.
Overall, 25 states had teen unemployment rates that stood above 25 percent throughout 2010, with 1.94 million teens wanting jobs, but not able to find them.
“The statistics are devastating. Research shows that teens without job opportunities are at a higher risk for dropping out of high school or winding up in the criminal justice system,” said Michael Saltsman, a research fellow at the Employment Policies Institute and a former economist with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Nevada’s teen unemployment rate stood at 32.3 in January 2010; 18.7 percent January 2009; 15.4 percent in January 2008; 17.2 percent in January 2007; and 13.5 percent in January 2006, according to Saltsman’s analysis of the numbers.
The unemployment rate for all U.S. workers hovered between 9 and 10 percent throughout much of 2010, while the overall Nevada unemployment rate sat at 14.9 percent for nine consecutive months.
Nationally, teen unemployment stood at 42.1 percent for black teens, 31.9 percent for Hispanics and 21.6 percent for whites, according to the national figures.
An unemployed teen is defined as someone who is seeking work but cannot find a job. That contrasts with a related trend: an increase in the number of teens who have voluntarily stopped looking for work, particularly for summer vacation.
A 2010 Bureau of Labor Statistics study attributed much of the latter trend to an increase in the number of students who take summer classes or stay home and study for the coming school year in pursuit of better grades and the opportunity to attend top-notch colleges and universities. That same study also found that a large percentage of teens have simply quit looking for work because of the disheartening job picture created by the two recessions since 2001.
School districts around the country also have altered the beginning and end of their academic years, stretching the school year into June or beginning
classes before Labor Day, making it harder for teens to find work, according to the study.
The ongoing change of the American workplace has also contributed to the change in the teen jobs picture. Some restaurants have eliminated the position long known as a busboy. Self-service checkout at grocery stores has reduced the number of cashier and bagging jobs for youths.
Meantime, the push to raise the minimum wage in states and cities has pushed employers to seek more qualified workers, particularly experienced older workers who lost their jobs to the current recession.
“How many summers are teens going to go through before we see a rebound of these numbers? I don’t know,” Saltsman said.
Teenage unemployment rate is a direct result of minimum wage being TOO HIGH. They are simply too inefficient to hire for that amount.
For those of you that say minimum wage is supposed to be a living wage - I disagree. It is a starting wage. Employment is a mutual agreement - anytime someone does not mutually agree, they don't have to, either party can renegotiate or leave.
The peasants want a big fat minimum wage - You got it! And right now that minimum wage number is ZERO, because no job equals ZERO! Be careful what you wish for, you may get it!
Shows what kind of "family values" people like Gibbons and Sandoval have.
How many of these 'unemployed' teens would be able to pass a drug test at the time of their interview for a position?
I bet there is lots of 19 year old guys who wished they paid attention in Algebra class when they were fifteen.
these poor kids...
we have screwed them...
brian sandoval wants to do irreparable harm to them...
sad...
terribly terribly sad...
the greatest generation gave birth to...
the most pathetic selfish generation...
If you are 13-19 you shouldn't be working. It's called focusing on your education. I'll give some slack if your 17-19, but even then a part-time job should suffice for a teenagers expenses. Kids nowadays need SO much stuff to stay satisfied and entertained, lest they get into trouble. Corporate America is constantly bombarding these kids with what they NEED to have and it seems an education is far from the top of that list. When I was growing up the parents provided for the kids and in the summer we went to day camp, went on vacation, volunteered daily or stayed home with books from the library. Working a job does instill some of life's principles, but those can be gained from chores, volunteering and concentrating on an education.
It's a competitive world and a competitive job market. If these teens want to work they better pull their pants up and get a haircut and unglue the cell phone from their ear for a few minutes.
The Truth: "teen unemployment rate stood at 32.3 in January 2010; 18.7 percent January 2009; 15.4 percent in January 2008; 17.2 percent in January 2007; and 13.5 percent in January 2006"
Teen unemployment in 2008 is 1/2 2010? Did the schools degrade by a factor of 2 in just two years? Clearly, it is not the schools.
Valets, dishwashers, waiters, bed makers, window washers, tile and barf cleaners do not need algebra or history for their jobs. Teen unemployment has nothing to do with the schools.
Republicans are trying to eliminate child labor laws all around the country so Susie can wash dishes in a restaurant until 12 am for $1/hour...or is that too much for a 12 year old? Better to start them at 50 cents an hour and deduct their break time from the pay check...To "make America competitive" with Third World countries no doubt.
If the parents worked, the children would not have to - but the objective of the wealthy in this country is to put parents out of work and transfer the jobs to their children for better profits.
This is the way it was 100 years ago, before Unions. Child labor, sweat houses, unsafe working conditions - so the owners could become richer by hiring for less.
Read history and see that this was all in place before Teddy Roosevelt and FDR. Republicans hate Teddy and FDR because they put the parents back to work and the kids back into school AND they miss the "Good Old Days" of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factories.
LV2011, maybe it's not the teacher who "failed to educate them..." just MAYBE it was the kid who didn't apply THEMSELVES enough to the task at hand to qualify for even an entry level job. It seems so easy to just blame the teacher....
Why hire a teen when you can get an adult to work for the same money? That is what is happening in Nevada. People are desperete for a job and are working entry level jobs pushing these teens out. Teens are unreliable and unproductive. They have to be trained to do simple task and constantly supervised. Just a waste for employers to hire a teen when a seasoned adult who can work unsupervised is available for the job.
*****
Bingo!! THIS is the reason why teens can't find jobs.And it is happening everywhere.
Also, I don't believe there are enough teens - whether in Vegas or anywhere else in this country - that want to put forth any kind of enegry or effort working a part time job. The neighbor kid (who is 16) got a part time job working at Little Ceasar's pizza. All he is doing is standing on the street with a sign with an arrow pointing to the store. He's been doing this for 2 weeks for about 5 hrs a week. AND he COMPLAINS about it EVERY day!! He said he is tired of working and that he would rather be screwing around riding his bike or skateboarding.
And I agree with what sdchilling said - pull up the pants, get rid of the piercings AND the cell phone. But they don't want to. Maybe if Mom and/or Dad said that we're not buying you this high priced thing or that and if you want it - earn your own money - maybe they'll get the picture, but I doubt it. Drive by any high school student parking lot these days. Tell me when you were 16 or 17, you drove a car that was relatively new or even new like these kids? SOMEONE is buying the kids these cars!!! And it's not from the kid working a 15 hr a week minimum wage job.
A large percentage of the children just aren't worth the current minimum wage
Unemployment seems to be highest among teenage minorities. Could be a combination of poor education, racism and the minimum wage.
With so many people unemployed, teens are at the bottom of the list. Teens have no skill, poor judgement, no decision making skills, are generally untrust worthy, have some sort of criminal record, have a social network page with questionable entries, no discipline, no work history, poor ethics, lack moral qualities, which means they have questionable character, are irresponsble and are unqualified. Yes, not all teens are like that, but there are enough to put a big question mark on every teen applying for a job. Teens need to do more volunteer work, get involved in community projects and in their school activities. Employers like to see that teens are involved, instead of just applying for job after job.
This should not be a surprise at all when Nevada also has the highest % of illegal aliens in the country. So much for the slogan about jobs that Americans don't want to do. So where will teen HS dropouts work and make a living moving forward? Taxpayers will have to subsidize that as well. Let the ripoff of working American taxpayers continue.
@JTrenchard - be careful - according to another story on here it's the caucasian kids who are now the true minority - so when you refer to minority kids exactly what race are you referring to? Surely you mean the white kids, right?