I spoke to graduates at the University of Pennsylvania last week. One of them was about to walk with a nursing degree and told me she did not have a job, admitting her frustration. Another said he did manage to find one, and his friends were actually surprised.
A Penn grad finding a job and they're surprised? What is going on?
Some of these grads may join the Boomerang Generation which is graduating from college, not finding work, and moving back in with mom and dad.
Let's add in the children who are still living in the nest, they aren't working either. According to the federal government, nearly half of 16 to 24-year-olds were unemployed in July of 2010. It was the lowest reading for that month since the Labor Department started keeping records in 1948.
Erika Christakis – a writer with Time Magazine blogged about this phenomenon. She believes this could turn out to be a real problem for the generation.
Christakis blogs: "It was once common to see teenagers mowing lawns, waiting tables, digging ditches and bagging groceries for modest wages in the long summer months. Summer employment was a social equalizer, allowing both affluent and financially strapped teenagers to gain a foothold on adulthood, learning the virtues of hard work, respect and teamwork in a relatively low-stakes atmosphere. But youth employment has declined precipitously over the years, and young people are losing a chance to develop these important life skills in the process."
There could be several explanations for why fewer youngsters are working: non-paid internships (which means they are working anyway), athletics, extended summer vacations or other activities. Perhaps you as a parent have a few ideas of your own (you can share them in the comments section below).
However, there is hope. A survey on CareerBuilder found that more companies plan to do summer hiring that last year.
Let's just hope when the nation fully recovers from its employment funk, the younger folks will be ready, willing and able.
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