US Youth Labor Force Participation Rate At 61.8 Percent in July 2019, A 9-Year High

YOUNG PEOPLE GET JOBS - In July 2019, 61.8 percent of 16- to 24-year-olds participated in the labor force. That is, they were working or looking for work. The July 2019 labor force participation rate for youth was notably higher than the July rates for the prior 9 years.

However, the rate remained considerably below the July 1989 peak of 77.5 percent.

According to the US Chamber of Commerce: without employment income, young people cannot pay off the staggering U.S. student debt, help sustain the deeply strapped Social Security and Medicare systems, or contribute to their own retirement savings that rely on early-year contributions to accrue returns. The mix of high debt and joblessness fans disillusionment and frustration with our political and economic system, making the American dream seem more like an illusion and imposing huge societal costs. They include depriving our country of youth’s energy, fresh perspective, and inherent inventiveness.  

Youth idleness is hardly just an American phenomenon. The Economist reports that nearly one-quarter of the world’s youth is either not employed, in training or in school. Studies show that teenagers who are neither working nor in school are more susceptible to criminal behavior, violence, and delinquency

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