Title
Authorizing City Council's Committee on Commerce and Economic Development to hold hearings to examine youth employment strategies and youth job training, to increase youth employment in the City of Philadelphia.
Body
WHEREAS, Employment opportunities are extremely important in order to teach young Philadelphians the professionalism, skills and responsibility necessary for a successful career; and
WHEREAS, According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national youth unemployment rate for 16 to 19 year olds was 16.1%, and for 20 to 24 year olds, the unemployment rate was 9.4% in December 2015; and
WHEREAS, Applicants for youth employment programs often exceed the number of available opportunities. Furthermore, the economic recession has made it more difficult for young Philadelphians to find work in various sectors of the economy; and
WHEREAS, According to a report issued by a youth employment advocacy organization, Young Invincibles, youth unemployment costs American taxpayers approximately $25 Billion annually; and
WHEREAS, According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national youth labor force grew in 2015 by 13.5 percent, or 2.7 million individuals; and
WHEREAS, According to a Philadelphia Works 2012 analysis, young adults, not working or enrolled in school, are among Philadelphians with the highest barriers to employment. Among the 240,000 young adults ages 16-24 in Philadelphia, approximately 93,000 were not enrolled in school and almost 46,000, or 49.1 percent, were not enrolled or working. The unemployment rate for youth not enrolled in school was 30.6 percent, which translates to 17.1 percentage points higher than adults ages 25-64; and
WHEREAS, The national youth labor force participation rate is lower for African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and women than it is for Caucasians and men; and
WHEREAS, According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, nationally, there are 6 million youth that are out of school and s...
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