PHILADELPHIA — February 4, 2016 — Councilman Kenyatta Johnson (2nd District) introduced legislation to hold hearings on youth employment strategies and youth job training opportunities in the City of Philadelphia.
Employment opportunities are extremely important in order to teach young Philadelphians the professionalism, skills and responsibility necessary for a successful career. Currently, applicants for youth employment programs often exceed the number of available opportunities.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national youth unemployment rate for 16 to 19 year olds was 16.1% in December 2015. 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–17.1 percentage points higher than adults ages 25-64 in the city of Philadelphia.
Additionally, youth unemployment costs American taxpayers approximately $25 billion annually. Partnerships and strategies across the city of Philadelphia to employ young people in the future will reduce the unemployment rate for young people and help to ensure the productive, successful futures of all citizens.
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Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, a former Pennsylvania State Representative, represents the 2nd Council District which includes parts of Center City, South Philadelphia, and Southwest Philadelphia. More information at phlcouncil.com/KenyattaJohnson
