As the economic recovery stalls, teen unemployment is hitting record levels in many states. Nationally, the unemployment rate for Americans ages 16 to 19 is more than 24 percent — and more than 40 percent for African Americans. There are many causes for the dire statistics, but conservatives say one is the hike in the minimum wage from $5.15 an hour in 2007 to $7.25 by 2009. Is that really why so many teenagers can't find work?
Of course the minimum wage is hurting teens: Driving the minimum wage ever higher "doesn't end up delivering prosperity," says Ed Morrissey at Hot Air. "It drives up business costs," which inevitably forces some employers to cut some jobs. And when they have to pay people $2 more an hour, they're going to give what work they do have to more experienced applicants rather than to inexperienced teenagers.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Today's political cartoons - December 22, 2024Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - the long and short of it, trigger finger, and more
-
5 hilariously spirited cartoons about the spirit of ChristmasCartoons Artists take on excuses, pardons, and more
-
Inside the house of AssadThe Explainer Bashar al-Assad and his father, Hafez, ruled Syria for more than half a century but how did one family achieve and maintain power?
