ARRA Created Jobs for Youth

The Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration released a report last week detailing the immense success of the youth job program made possible in 2009 by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Recovery Act Summer Youth Employment Initiative allocated $1.2 billion to already-existing programs around the country to create summer and year-round employment opportunities for young people, ages 14 to 24.

"The dual purposes of the Recovery Act provisions targeting youth were to spur local economies and to provide employment experiences to disadvantaged youth," the report says. "These employment opportunities were meant to put money directly into the hands of youth, who could both help support their families during the recession and help stimulate demand in local economies through their spending."

"Reinvesting in America's Youth: Lessons from the 2009 Recovery Act Summer Youth Employment Initiative" found that more than 313,000 youth were placed in summer jobs through this funding stream, and 45,407 were placed in jobs during non-summer months. Thirty-six percent of the participants were not in school.

Across the sites surveyed, youth earned an average of $1,500 in a summer jobs - they were often paid more than federal minimum wage - and gained as many as 20 weeks of work experience. Almost 75 percent of the youth nationwide "achieved a measurable increase in their work readiness skills while participating," the report says.

Despite the initiative's success, programs worry they will be unable to meet demand this year without additional funding, according to the report. Administrators also expressed concern about the economy's effect on the number of job opportunities that could result in permanent positions for youth.

For more information, or to download the report, click here.