Youth Employment Data: Employment to Population Ratios for 16 to 19 and 20 to 24 Year Olds by Chicago Community Area, 2005-2009 to 2010-2014
Executive Summary
The Youth Employment Data brief examines changes in youth employment across Chicago community areas, focusing on employment-to-population ratios for young people ages 16–19 and 20–24. Using five-year American Community Survey estimates, the analysis compares conditions from 2005–2009 to 2010–2014 to identify neighborhoods where youth employment opportunities improved or declined over time. These ratios provide an accessible measure of how many young people are connected to the labor market and where barriers to employment persist.
The analysis reveals stark geographic disparities. While a handful of community areas—including parts of the Near South Side, North Side, and select West Side neighborhoods—experienced gains in youth employment, many West, Southwest, and Far South Side communities saw substantial declines. Teen employment (ages 16–19) declined sharply in several Far South Side neighborhoods, while young adults ages 20–24 experienced notable losses in parts of the South Side despite localized improvements elsewhere. These uneven trends underscore how youth employment challenges are concentrated in specific neighborhoods rather than evenly distributed across the city.
By mapping both percentage changes and percentage point differences, the brief highlights not only where youth employment shifted, but the scale of those shifts relative to community size. Overall, the findings emphasize that youth job access in Chicago is shaped by long-standing structural inequities related to race, neighborhood investment, and economic opportunity. Designed for journalists, policymakers, workforce practitioners, and community organizations, the brief serves as a data-driven foundation for targeted youth employment strategies and place-based economic development efforts.