Unemployment for Americans aged 16 to 19 is at an all time high – 27%. It’s a segment of our workforce that has been hard hit by the recession, yet largely overlooked. Though unemployment among adults is a pressing matter, the long term affects of unemployment among our youth is something we should be just as concerned about.
What affect will this have on teens’ work ethic?
Are there major consequences to young people not getting job experience in their most impressionable years?
Is this hindering their ability and interest to learn about financial literacy and money management?
Is this negatively shaping their views of money and finances or shifting it in some other way?
What are the psychological effects for teens that spend many months looking for a job only to be turned down repeatedly?
How does this affect their confidence and feeling of self worth/self esteem in a time when they are most self conscious?
Is this hurting some teens’ ability to gain higher education because they can’t find a job and save up for college, as many teens have had to do in the past?
The fact is these teens will soon be young adults out in the real world and a large part of our work force. The affects of teen unemployment is a discussion worth having as it may affect how financial educators approach and work with this age group for years to come.
Ace Elliott
Debtfreeu.org
Director of Content / Project Manager
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