A Long, Idle Summer for America's Youth

It's not a pretty picture for job-seeking youth this summer. Employment opportunities for those under 25 are expected to be the worst in decades. Although the national unemployment rate is around nine percent, it soars to over 17 percent for 16- to 24-year-olds. Back in the summer of 2000, the summer employment rate for youths hit a high of 46 percent; this summer it's expected that only one in four youths will have a summer job. The news is worse for teens from poor families. They're even less likely to find jobs than their middle class peers. What impact have federal and local budget cuts had on summer job programs? Who pays the price when teens don't get summer jobs? What are the long-term social costs of youth unemployment?