Nearly 17 percent of young adults age 16-29 don’t have a job, aren’t going to school or participating in employment training, an army of 10.2 million “detached” Americans down on their luck and a potential source of social unrest, according to a new Pew Research Center report.
“Teens and young adults were among the groups hit hardest by the global financial crisis. And while many young people have since regained their footing – as employees, students or both – there are still millions in the U.S. and abroad who are neither working nor in school. Though sometimes referred to as ‘disconnected’ or ‘detached’ youth, globally those young people often are called ‘NEETs’ – because they are neither employed nor in education or training,” said Pew.
The NEETs are the focus of labor economists, said Pew, because it is possible that without some assistance, the millions will never get a good job and “will never fully integrate into the wider economy or achieve their full earning potential.”
Pew added, “Some observers also worry that large numbers of NEETs represent a potential source of social unrest.”
The number of NEETs is down a smidge, and Pew noted that their population typically follows economic calamity.
In their demographic analysis, Pew also said that many are in minority communities, especially African Americans and Hispanics more than whites. And, significantly, more are women.
From Pew:
“According to our analysis of the 2015 data on 16-to-29-year-olds, they’re more female than male (57% to 43%), and two-thirds have a high school education or less. Blacks and Hispanics are most likely to be NEETS: 22% of young black people ages 16-29 are neither employed nor in school, versus 16% of young whites. About 20% of young Hispanics are NEET.”
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
