DOL Needs Your Help to Connect Employers with Talented Young People

As the nation continues to recover from the deepest recession in decades, the challenges facing our young people have been especially difficult. Last summer, the unemployment rate among 16 to 24 year olds was 19.1 percent -- the highest since 1948.  Nearly 4.5 million young people who wanted to work could not find jobs.  For youth of color, the numbers were even worse with unemployment rates of 33.4 percent for African-American, 22.1 percent for Hispanic and 21.6 percent for Asian youth.

In 2009 and 2010, communities across the country used American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to directly support summer jobs for nearly 400,000 young people.  Those Recovery Act dollars are gone and without dedicated funding the summer of 2011 could provide few opportunities for deserving young people.

In lieu of specific federally funded programs, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis is partnering with business leaders, elected officials and non-profits to highlight summer job opportunities for America's young people.  The Department of Labor has launched www.dol.gov/summerjobs to facilitate these vital connections.

If your organization runs a summer jobs program, the Department of Labor would like to help you publicize your openings by making a commitment to hire.

For additional information and to make your commitment to summer jobs, please contact David Roberts at Roberts.david@dol.gov or 202-270-9439.