The July 2015 unemployment rate in Pima County was 6.2 percent, according to Arizona’s Workforce Employment Report.
But recent numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics tell a different story for youth. According to the BLS, the unemployment rate for people ages 16 to 24 years is 12.2 percent, with rates for black youths at 20.7 percent, with whites and Hispanics at 10.3 and 12.7 percent, respectively.
Tina Montgomery, Small Business Administration associate administrator for the Office of Entrepreneurial Development, reports that, as the nation’s job creators, small businesses are uniquely positioned to help address the issue of youth unemployment in America.
The SBA and Small Business Majority have joined forces to encourage small business owners to create job opportunities through SmallBiz4Youth, a national campaign to help bridge the gap between “opportunity youth” (the 6.7 million Americans between 16 and 24 who are not in school or working) and small businesses needing to fill key entry-level positions.
The SmallBiz4Youth campaign addresses the unemployment rate of young people by asking small businesses to take one or more of the following actions:
- Increase hiring of opportunity youth.
- Expand internship or apprenticeship opportunities.
- Adopt work-based learning opportunities through mentoring and training.
- Partner with local workforce boards to identify prospective youths for job placement.
- Partner with local nonprofits organizations, One-Stop Career Centers and community colleges to identify opportunity youth to fill internships and/or entry-level positions.
- Work with suppliers to assess opportunities to hire, train or mentor opportunity youth.
The campaign focuses on creating pipelines for all youth, especially people of color, to enter the workforce, and even one day own businesses. See www.smallbiz4youth.com for more details.
