Unemployment Above 25% for Rhode Island Youth

Tuesday, July 09, 2013

Kate Nagle, GoLocal Contributor

The unemployment rate for teens in Rhode Island currently seeking work is 25%, according to the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training.  

The general unemployment rate in Rhode Island was at 8.9% for the month of May, however DLT Communications Manager Laura Hart told GoLocal that the number is significantly higher for youth ages 16 to 19.  

"The 25% is a twelve month average, from June 2012 through this past May," said Hart. "It doesn't necessarily take into account seasonal summer employment. The national unemployment average for June was slightly lower for youth, around 24%, but that only reflects one month, not the whole year."  

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

GoLocal took a look today at the closing of the Davey Lopes pool in South Providence, following on the heels of the city closing the Joslin pool in Olneyville last year, and its impact on youth in the community.

Hart spoke to the programs that the DLT is undertaking to address youth unemployment in the state -- while Providence City Councilman Kevin Jackson told GoLocal last week that politics appeared to be at the center of keeping some teens not only out of a pool, but out of a job.

State Striving to Put Teens To Work

Hart told GoLocal on Monday that the DLT, in conjunction with the state. had a number of resources to allow youth in Rhode Island to seek summer employment.

"There are YouthWorks411 Centers throughout the state, which can serve young people up until the age 20 or 21," said Hart. "They can go to them to get workforce readiness skills, references to seek academic remediation, or employment referrals."

Hart continued, "In addition, this year the Governor's Workforce Board partnered with the Department of Human Services to offer employment opportunities -- $2.1 million was earmarked for youth summer programs."

In a release that went out last month announcing the program, Governor Chafee said, "We can all agree on the importance of providing real work experience to the next generation of our labor force. Through these summer jobs, Rhode Island youth are learning hands-on technical skills, workplace expectations, and financial responsibility habits that will help launch them on their career paths."

More than 20 community-based organizations throughout the state are offering a combination of work experience and work readiness training to approximately 1,500 youth ages 14-24. Work experiences run the gamut of industries, including information technology, manufacturing, health care, arts, construction and manufacturing.

"This works in conjunction with our 411 program," said Hart. "These opportunities have been filled."

Jackson Questions City's Hiring Practices

Providence City Councilman Kevin Jackson last week told GoLocal that he believed that the city was "playing politics" with the youth jobs available at the city's recreations centers.

"I'll tell you what I know," Jackson said. "Our [recreation center] directors who run summer camps usually put together a list of teens to work at these camps, to work at water parks. They were told that kids who put down they were in the district of any one of the council members who voted against the budget would not be hired."

Jackson continued, "I know that [the City] will say that they got more applications than positions available -- but this isn't a lottery progress, they pick the kids.  We shouldn't be playing politics with our kids, especially the kids for whom a paycheck would mean everything."

See the slideshow of youth affected by pool closings here.  

Related Articles

• 100 Rhode Island Summer Bests
• RI State Report: Unemployment, Gay Marriage & Fox’s Economic Plan
• NEW: Rhode Island Unemployment Rate Up For May 2013
• Report: RI Unemployment to Remain Above 9% Until at Least 2014
• DLT Director: RI’s Unemployment Rate Won’t “Turn Around Overnight”
• NEW: RI DLT Reports Lowest Unemployment Rate Since 2008
• NEW: RI Unemployment Numbers Dropped to 8.8 Percent in April
• NEW: RI Unemployment Rate Drops To 9.4%
• 20 Free (And Cheap) Things To Do In Rhode Island This Summer
• RI State Report: EDC Nominees, Unemployment & An E-Cigarette Ban

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.