The state’s economy continues to recover from the Great Recession by adding thousands of jobs, according to a new report. But, very little of the job growth is going to younger workers Oregon analysts say.
People ages 16 to 24 make up 13 percent of the labor force, but accounted for 29 percent of Oregon’s unemployed last year. That’s according to the Oregon Employment Department.
Nick Beleiciks is a state employment economist. He says the share of unemployed young people with no previous work experience nearly doubled since the early 2000s.
“Younger workers today are competing for jobs with older workers who may have more experience and more flexible schedules.”
Beleiciks says young people who are skipping early work experience account for about a fourth of the drop in the total pool of working and job-seeking Oregonians.
He says more young people are going back to school, which could pay off long-term because college graduates typically make more money.
Copyright 2014 Oregon Public Broadcasting