Authorizing City Council's Committee on Commerce and Economic Development to hold hearings to examine youth employment strategies and youth job training, to increase youth employment in the City of Philadelphia.

WHEREAS, Employment opportunities are extremely important in order to teach young Philadelphians the professionalism, skills and responsibility necessary for a successful career; and

WHEREAS, According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national youth unemployment rate for 16 to 19 year olds was 16.1%, and for 20 to 24 year olds, the unemployment rate was 9.4% in December 2015; and

WHEREAS, Applicants for youth employment programs often exceed the number of available opportunities. Furthermore, the economic recession has made it more difficult for young Philadelphians to find work in various sectors of the economy; and

WHEREAS, According to a report issued by a youth employment advocacy organization, Young Invincibles, youth unemployment costs American taxpayers approximately $25 Billion annually; and

WHEREAS, According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national youth labor force grew in 2015 by 13.5 percent, or 2.7 million individuals; and

WHEREAS, According to a Philadelphia Works 2012 analysis,

young adults, not working or enrolled in school, are among Philadelphians with the highest barriers to employment. Among the 240,000 young adults ages 16-24 in Philadelphia, approximately 93,000 were not enrolled in school and almost 46,000, or 49.1 percent, were not enrolled or working. The unemployment rate for youth not enrolled in school was 30.6 percent, which translates to 17.1 percentage points higher than adults ages 25-64; and

WHEREAS, The national youth labor force participation rate is lower for African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and women than it is for Caucasians and men; and

WHEREAS, According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, nationally, there are 6 million youth that are out of school and still looking for work, while employers are seeking to fill 5 million available jobs in 2015; and

WHEREAS, Large numbers of young adults who were able to gain employment are seriously underemployed, many of whom are employed in part-time, low paying, or temporary positions with little opportunity for advancement; and

WHEREAS, According to the Pew Charitable Trusts report,

Philadelphia 2015: State of the City

, the rate of job growth in 2014 was 1.3 percent compared with the national rate of 1.9 percent; and

WHEREAS, According to experts, the economic downturn has caused many people who have been in the workforce longer to change jobs less frequently, remain with current employers for longer periods of time, and delay retirement. These trends have reduced the number of available positions for young people seeking employment; and

WHEREAS, Unemployed young people are less likely than older adults to qualify for unemployment benefits because they often lack the length of employment required to qualify for such benefits; and

WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia must work to protect the futures of millions of young people and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to make a Twenty-First Century living wage; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That City Council’s Committee on Commerce and Economic Development is hereby authorized

to hold hearings to examine youth employment and job training strategies in the City of Philadelphia.

End