Unemployment rate rises while some young adults remain optimistic

• Posted on July 31, 2011
• in Government, Students
• by Eva London

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The job market for many Americans has been discouraging with unemployment rates rising to 9.2 percent in June.

The unemployment rate for 16-24 year olds was 18.9 percent and 10.5 percent for 25-29 year olds according to a USA Today article. The article also states that last year marked the highest percentage of unemployment for 16-24 year olds since the government started measuring the figures in 1948.

This age group includes current high school and college students, recent college graduates, as well as high school dropouts and individuals with only a high school diploma or GED.

These recent college graduates have officially joined the growing list of experienced workers looking for a job, thus adding to the nation’s overall unemployment rate.

According to an article on thehill.com, the unemployment rate of recent college graduates has almost doubled at 6.4 percent compared to four years ago when it was 3.5 percent. These recent students have spent the past four years or more gaining knowledge for a particular field or industry during the two year official time span of the recession which ended June 2009.

 

With policies and changes under discussion between political representatives the decisions made today will affect the future of current young adults who hold a high percentage of the unemployment rate.

California’s unemployment rate was reported at 11.8 percent in June, a number that will continue to increase through the end of 2013 according to economist Jeff Michael in an article on The Sacramento Bee. California is one of the states hit the hardest by the recession and the job market is still struggling to recover. The graph below shows the unemployment rate between the government, California and a local California county.

Jillian Fashana a 20 year old junior at the Academy of Art says her current job as a sales associate at Osbourne & Little was referred to her by one of her teachers. Fashana is studying interior design and says obtaining a job in her field is done by networking and word of mouth, as well as experience.“I’ve met interior designers that I’m hoping to intern with in the near future,” Fashana said while adding that the job market in the Bay area is ‘tough and unpredictable just like everywhere else.’

Another state hit hard by the recession and job loss is Illinois. Its unemployment rate rose from 8.9 percent in May to 9.2 percent in June according to an article on austintalks.org.

23 year old Ke’Oisha White moved back home to Chicago after graduating from Southern Illinois University Carbondale with a degree in Information Systems and Applied Technology. She searched for two months before securing a job in her field of study as a technical support analyst.

White says there is always a need for an information technologist in her industry, but adds, “It’s not as easy as some would think considering you’re no longer competing with other recent college grads, but with people with lots of work experience.”

More young adults are taking action in securing a better future by seeking answers and solutions to current economic problems. After more than 120 student government presidents signed a letter urging the president and congress to find a solution to the debt ceiling crisis, President Obama held a conference call with a group of student body presidents to address students concerns last week according to the Huffington Post.

While Fashana and White remain optimistic about their future in their respective industries, the rate of unemployment among young adults is still high and continues to rise.

Tags: college, jobs, politics, students, unemployment