.. less than half of Americans under 25 who are not in school have a full-time job. The situation is far more dire for youth who graduated high school during the recession. According to a recent study from Rutgers University, only 16 percent of youth who graduated from high school between 2009 and 2011 have found full-time work.
The report, by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, details the impact the recession has had on youth who graduated from high school, but did not finish college. The survey covered youth between the ages of 18 and 29, who received their high school degree between 2006 and 2011. In this demographic, youth who graduated between 2006 and 2008 had an employment rate of 60 percent, around one-fourth of whom were underemployed and looking for more work. For those graduating during the recession, the employment rate was only 38 percent, a full third of whom were underemployed.
Moreover, the jobs that youth are obtaining, regardless of when they graduated, are generally transitory and low paying. The median hourly wage earned at the first job of those surveyed was $7.50 an hour, only 25 cents more than federal minimum wage and actually lower than the minimum wage in 14 states. For most of those employed there has been little improvement between their first and their current job. The median wage in this demographic for current jobs was just $8.25 an hour.
The report, by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, details the impact the recession has had on youth who graduated from high school, but did not finish college. The survey covered youth between the ages of 18 and 29, who received their high school degree between 2006 and 2011. In this demographic, youth who graduated between 2006 and 2008 had an employment rate of 60 percent, around one-fourth of whom were underemployed and looking for more work. For those graduating during the recession, the employment rate was only 38 percent, a full third of whom were underemployed.
Moreover, the jobs that youth are obtaining, regardless of when they graduated, are generally transitory and low paying. The median hourly wage earned at the first job of those surveyed was $7.50 an hour, only 25 cents more than federal minimum wage and actually lower than the minimum wage in 14 states. For most of those employed there has been little improvement between their first and their current job. The median wage in this demographic for current jobs was just $8.25 an hour.
