With the rollout of vaccines and businesses reopening, many employers are looking to increase their staffing levels. Young adults are a key labor supply for the leisure and hospitality sector, which is finally starting to rebound from the depths of the pandemic. The timing works out well, with school letting out just as employers are looking to increase employment levels.
In April, the nation’s share of young people ages 16 to 19 who were working reached the highest level since the summer of 2008.
But racial disparities among employment levels for the nation’s young people persist. Black teens have historically lower employment rates, and despite the current labor demand, Black teens are employed at much lower levels than white teens.
While we do not have the same high frequency data available at the local level, employment rates for young adults ages 16 to 21 have been consistently higher in Louisville Metro as compared to the nation. We would therefore expect that the recent uptick in youth employment is playing out locally as well.
Just as the nation continues to face persistent racial inequities, the local labor market is no different. Prior to the pandemic, the region was enjoying a strong economy and record low unemployment rates. But among Louisville Metro’s young adults who were seeking work, the highest share of young adults not working were Black and Hispanic. Black youth in particular had an unemployment rate more than double the rate among white youth.
As with many local trends that exhibit racial disparities, these inequities can be seen geographically as well. Local youth had the highest unemployment rates in the ZIP codes in the northwestern portion of the county, while youth unemployment rates were lower in the east and south.
Young people looking for employment opportunities this summer can participate in SummerWorks, a free program aimed at helping young adults find summer employment. The program was launched by Mayor Greg Fischer and the Louisville Metro Council in 2011, and has helped to improve local youth employment rates. While SummerWorks is open to all residents of Louisville Metro, the program seeks to address the inequities shown in the data above by using targeted outreach in specific ZIP codes in northwest Jefferson County and in specific high schools. This outreach is effective. The program overwhelmingly serves Black young people, reaching individuals who might not otherwise find employment on their own.
Summer youth employment is an important step for entering the workforce. Young people learn critical skills, improve their social networks, and of course, earn some income. A recent analysis from the Kentucky Center for Statistics showed that participation in SummerWorks was associated with higher high school graduation rates, higher rates of attending postsecondary, and higher rates of employment after participation in the program. The effects were even larger for the Black youth who participated.
The current registration for SummerWorks 2021 is open through June 21. While it might seem like there are plenty of job opportunities available that are easily accessible, persistent inequities in the local labor market might prevent all of Louisville’s youth who would like to participate in the workforce from doing so. SummerWorks can help those young people in particular and connect them with a summer job experience.
