Young Workers, Positive About Unions, Face Economic Squeeze

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/05/16/young-workers-positive-about-unions-face-economic-squeeze/

by James Parks, May 16, 2008

Two new reports show today’s young workers are being squeezed by high costs of living and low or stagnant wages and they want the government to do more to solve this nation’s economic mess.

The Economic State of Young America by Demos presents a statistical study of the economic condition of young workers, and The Progressive Generation: How Young Adults Think About the Economy by the Center for American Progress (CAP) analyzes public polling of young workers. Click here for a copy of the Demos report and here for the CAP report.

The two reports paint a picture of young workers who are faced with a combination of declining incomes, growing debt, high costs of education, homeownership and health care. In fact, say the reports’ authors, this generation of young workers could be the first not to surpass the living standards of their parents.

One key finding is that young workers understand the role of unions in building economic and political strength to make changes in public policies and the workplace. In the CAP study, young workers gave unions an average ranking of 60 on a 0-to-100 scale (with 0 indicating a negative view and 100 being a positive view), the second-highest level of support of any age group in the more than 40 years the question has been asked.

The authors of the two reports say the problems of young workers will have an impact on public policy for years to come. Tamara Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, says:

Young people today are being hit with a one-two economic punch. For this generation of young workers, the economy no longer generates widespread opportunity and security, and our public policies haven’t evolved to pick up any of the slack. In fact, many of the problems we see today are a direct result of a disinvestment in the policies meant to ensure that the opportunity ladder is firmly in place.

David Madland, director of CAP’s American Worker Project, says:

Young adults today think that the government can be a force for good in the economy, and that increased investments in healthcare, education, and other areas are necessary to ensure strong and sustainable economic growth. The progressive economic views of this large and politically active generation of young adults is likely to have a profound impact in 2008 and into the future.

FULL story at link.