September 2, 2013 in KSTV & MyNews3

LAS VEGAS — New unemployment numbers show it’s Nevada’s young people looking for work right now.

Unemployment for young adults–ages 18 through 34 — have been consistently low the past few years but the unemployment rate for young Nevadans is skyrocketing.

Currently young adults face an unemployment rate of 15.6 percent more than twice the overall national average here in Nevada that number is even higher.

According to the Young Invincibles- a national organization focusing on economic opportunity for youth—the unemployment rates for young adults in Nevada has skyrocketed to 17.1 percent with the number of young Nevadan’s employed full time dropping 19 percent in the past 8 years.

Some young adults we spoke to say factors like education and experience play a huge role in finding work.

“As a young person they don’t hire us because we don’t have that much work experience but the thing they don’t know is if you don’t hire us how else are we going to gain work experience,” said job seeker Devonte Pere.

Studies show that even young adults who are employed are under-employed and the annual salary for people ages 25 to 34 has dropped more than $3,000 in the past 8 years.

“It’s hard. Especially being a teen and not having any work, not having anything to do during the day things like that,” said Allee Shealyn who is also looking for work.

— Venise Toussaint, KSNV News 3