FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

May 2, 2014

Contact: Colin Seeberger, colin.seeberger@younginvincibles.org, 214.223.2913

Employment Gains Continue to Bypass Minority Youth, Despite Improved Youth Unemployment Rate

1 in 5 Young Black Workers Continue to Be Unemployed

[WASHINGTON]— As the national unemployment rate fell to 6.3 percent and the economy added 288,000 jobs in April, the unemployment rate for 18- to 29-year-olds declined to 9.1 percent from 10.9 percent in March (not seasonably adjusted). For younger workers, ages 16 to 24, the unemployment rate also fell slightly to 12.8 percent from 14.5 percent in March (seasonally adjusted).

“We know that education and job training are the keys to bringing down young adult unemployment rates, as workers with a post-secondary credential have higher job placement rates than high school graduates,” said Rory O’Sullivan, Deputy Director at Young Invincibles. “To help close the minority youth unemployment gap, Congress should take the Pell Grant off the chopping block, make the aid permanent, and invest in job training for our generation. These solutions connect minority youth to the workforce and are a smart investment for all American taxpayers.”

‪According to TICAS, more than 60 percent of African-American ‪undergraduates and half of Hispanic undergraduates rely on Pell Grants to attend school. Earlier this year, Young Invincibles released In This Together, a new report quantifying the losses realized by federal and state taxpayers due to high young adult unemployment .

Here is more information on how different populations of young people fared in April 2014:

• The unemployment rate for Black young adults ages 16 to 24 in April is 21.4 percent compared to 23.6 percent last month (not seasonally adjusted).

• The unemployment rate for young Latinos ages 16 to 24 in April is 11.6 percent – it was 13.8 percent last month (not seasonally adjusted).

• The unemployment rate for young men ages 16 to 24 in April is 14.3 percent compared to 16 percent last month (seasonally adjusted).

• The unemployment rate for young women ages 16 to 24 in April is 11.2 percent compared to 12.9 percent last month (seasonally adjusted).

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Young Invincibles is a national organization committed to amplifying the voices of young adults, ages 18 to 34, and expanding economic opportunity for our generation. Young Invincibles ensures that young adults are represented in today’s most pressing societal debates through cutting-edge policy research and analysis, and innovative campaigns designed to educate, inform and mobilize our generation to change the status quo. Follow us on Twitter at @YI_Care.