The Tragic Geography of Disconnected Youth

[xchrom]

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-economy/2012/09/metros-most-disconnected-young-people/3269/

More than one in seven young Americans are "disconnected" from work and from school, according to a report released Thursday by the Social Science Research Council's Measure of America project.

The report (PDF) is based on data from the U.S. Census and American Community Survey, and looks specifically at the numbers of young people aged 16 to 24 who are not working nor enrolled in school. The report tracked the data for the U.S. as a whole, in comparison to other countries, by race, and for the 25 largest metro areas as well as neighborhoods within cities.

Nationally, over 5.8 million young people (almost 15 percent) are disconnected — a figure that grew by 800,000 as a result of the economic crisis, according to the report.

Globally, the U.S. has a higher rate of youth disconnection than many advanced nations, including the United Kingdom (13.4 percent), Austria (11.4 percent), Canada (10.5 percent), Germany (9.5 percent), Norway (9.2 percent), Finland (8.6 percent), Switzerland (6.8 percent), Denmark (5.7 percent), and the Netherlands (4.1 percent).

[TransitJohn]

1. Droogs. eom

n/t

[hunter]

2. Fodder for the prison industry...

[TwilightGardener]

3. It's really not that easy to find even burger-flipping jobs now--

my son has been turned down by every fast-food restaurant, every supermarket, every pizza place near our town. He can't even get an interview, and I've looked over his applications before he submits them--they're filled out properly. He's a nice, clean, polite kid, too--short hair, no piercings/tattoos, etc. He goes in to ask about open positions, and just gets the run-around. Very frustrating.