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For Immediate Release
Contact:

Karen Conner, 202-281-4159, conner@cepr.net

Pandemic Devastates Youth Employment, Relief Policies Offer Little Help

WASHINGTON

Employment rates for young people had yet to fully rebound from the Great Recession when the pandemic hit and youth employment plunged downward again. A new analysis, published today by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), shows recent employment rates for 16 to 24-year-olds have dropped at twice the rate of overall employment, with the most dramatic declines being 18 to 19-year-old women.

The coauthors of the analysis, Shawn Fremstad and Hye Jin Rho, point out that compared to the policies and options young people had in the Great Recession, recent federal relief policies have mostly overlooked today's youth. Not even colleges and universities can offer much of a refuge, as they struggle to face their own financial pressures.

"Without an inclusive pandemic recovery plan, young people in the US face lasting harm that will impact their future employment, earnings, education, and health," said Fremstad.

The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) was established in 1999 to promote democratic debate on the most important economic and social issues that affect people's lives. In order for citizens to effectively exercise their voices in a democracy, they should be informed about the problems and choices that they face. CEPR is committed to presenting issues in an accurate and understandable manner, so that the public is better prepared to choose among the various policy options.

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