The unemployment rate for young adults ages 18-to-34 years-old remained unchanged in July, holding at 5.8 percent. The national unemployment rate dipped slightly to 4.3 percent.

Young adults in Illinois suffer from some of the highest rates of unemployment, 14.2 percent for 16-to-24 year-olds. To address the problem, Young Invincibles released a new report on strategies to improve apprenticeship programs in Illinois. Apprenticeships can help unemployed young adults train for in-demand jobs. The report, stemming from roundtable conversations across the state on behalf of the Illinois Governor’s Cabinet on Children and Youth, recommend four key sets of solutions to ensure underserved populations benefit from the youth apprenticeship program, including providing the wraparound services young adults need to participate in the programs, providing entry-level training that sets young adults up for success, building work environments that foster growth, and providing consumer-friendly marketing campaign.