This site is intended to educate the public on broad social, political and economic issues affecting low-income families. Comments made by readers herein do not represent the views or positions of the Marguerite Casey Foundation or Equal Voice, America’s Family Story, and do not constitute a recommendation for or against any specific candidate, legislation, or legislative proposal.

Users must refrain from making or posting comments that may constitute or could be viewed as lobbying or political campaigning under the U.S. federal tax laws. In addition, users must refrain from making or posting vulgar, obscene, threatening or abusive comments on this site. The website moderator reserves the right in its sole discretion, but not the responsibility, to delete or edit any user submission to this site, and/or to bar the participation by anyone who it reasonably believes to have violated these principles. Complete rules of conduct for this site are contained in the Term of Use

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Family Man

The principal casualties of this recession are not middle-aged, out-of-work professionals, but young men like Bobby, more of whom are unemployed than at any time in almost two decades. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 15 percent of men ages 20 to 24 were out of work in the first quarter of this year, compared with 7.4 percent for men age 25 and older. The numbers are even higher for those who, like Bobby, lack a high school diploma or college education. Many are trying to find jobs in construction and other trades that have been hit hard by the recession. They do not tend to carry the union cards that guarantee higher wages, and they don't believe in accepting welfare. Hard work, to them, is as honorable as higher education. But the economy has betrayed them, and many have no savings to draw from, no well-off parents to turn to for financial help.



Read More

No comments: