According to the Orange County Register, California’s recession has been particularly hard on younger workers with the unemployment rate for those ages 16 to 19 hitting 33.2% in January, reports the state Employment Development Department.

California unemployment ages 16-19
Month Unemployment
Jan. 2010 33.2%
Dec.2009 32.8%
Nov. 2009 32.4%
Jan. 2009 25.2%

Teens, who are often less educated and less skilled than the rest of the workforce, always have had a difficult time finding jobs, but this recession has been especially bad. A year ago in January, unemployment among those 16 to 19 was 25.2%.

I worry about the impact of this discouraging statistic — just when young people can begin to contribute to the economy as an employee or entrepreneur, they get hit with this. I worry about the potential injury to the self esteem of such impressionable talent.

What will be the result?

John Bradley Jackson
Director
Center for Entrepreneurship