This article highlights Chicago’s alarming youth joblessness rate, which surpasses both the national and Illinois averages, particularly affecting Black and Latino youths. The highest rates are found in South and West side neighborhoods. According to the University of Illinois Chicago’s Great Cities Institute, economic recovery post-COVID-19 has been uneven, with jobless rates for Black teens nearly doubling from 2021 to 2022. Lead researcher Matt Wilson pointed out the persistent disparities, stressing the need for increased funding for youth employment programs to address these issues and boost local economies.
“This report shows that despite an overall rebound in employment levels in Chicago since the pandemic, recovery has been uneven among different racial and ethnic groups in Chicago.”
“Black and Latino teens and young adults continue to have high jobless and out-of-school jobless rates compared to white Chicagoans.”
From PR Newswire/Alternative Schools Network
(To go to the actual article, please click on this link. Also available on The Ritz Herald)
