Today as we observe Labor Day we have to remember that youth unemployment is still at a record high number and it’s only getting higher.
Young people are the ones that drive the economy and since the recession hit unemployment numbers reported by the International Labor Organization (ILO) are staggering. Worldwide, the ILO estimates 81 million out of 630 million 15-24 year olds where unemployed at the end of 2009, some 7.8 million more than at the end of 2007. In the United States, the rate is 18%, which is almost double than the national average. Historians are beginning to call us the ‘Lost Generation.’
The good news is that help, or at least guidance is on the way. A new website was launched by the U.S. Department of Labor to help out-of-work Americans find new opportunities. Almost 10 percent of Americans are facing unemployment, unable to support themselves and their families.
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Entitled My Skills My Future, the website provides tools for potential workers to search for jobs by entering in their previous work experience. An instructional video featured on the My Skills My Future homepage explains how to use the database to search for employment opportunities and local job training seminars.
