Young Americans calling White House upset over unemployment of 18-29 year olds

The nation’s largest watchdog for young American jobs and unemployment is calling on 18-29 year olds to call the White House today after learning that their age group unemployment rates continue to increase.

Generation Opportunity is encouraging its Facebook fans, as well as its thousands of grassroots supporters across the nation, to call (202) 456-1414 and “demand that the policies of the last three and a half years, which have stifled job creation, be reversed in favor of policies that free up Americans to create jobs, to hire, and to restore the American tradition of access to opportunity for all.”

The news delivered bad news for Barack Obama, but it was even worse for the nation’s youngest adults who remain unemployed.

The youth unemployment rate for 18-29 year olds specifically for July 2012 is 12.7 percent.

The youth unemployment rate for 18-29 year old African-Americans for July 2012 is 22.3 percent.

The youth unemployment rate for 18-29 year old Hispanics for July 2012 is 14.0 percent.

The youth unemployment rate for 18–29 year old women for July 2012 is 12.6 percent.

Paul T. Conway, the former Chief of Staff of the US Department of Labor, is now President of Generation Opportunity, a non-profit, non-partisan group “that seeks to engage everyone from young adults…and all Americans who find themselves dissatisfied with the status quo and willing to create a better tomorrow.”

Generation Opportunity noted it’s important to realize that “the declining labor participation rate has created an additional 1.715 million young adults that are not counted as ‘unemployed’ by the U.S. Department of Labor because they are not in the labor force, meaning that those young people have given up looking for work due to the lack of jobs.”

If the labor force participation rate were factored into the calculation, the actual 18-29-unemployment rate would rise to 16.7 percent.

“Today’s unemployment number is another indicator of the far greater, more fundamentally devastating, and still under-reported story impacting young Americans,” Conway announced today. “For nearly three and half years, young Americans have experienced historically high unemployment levels – levels that are among the highest since the end of World War II – that tell the story of millions of delayed dreams and careers of the next greatest generation.

“Instead of aggressively embracing policies that liberate businesses to create more jobs, the President and his appointees have pursued an agenda that suffocates economic opportunity under the weight of more spending, higher debt, more regulations, and higher taxes.”

“For young Americans, the message from their government is clear – we are not responsible if our destructive policy decisions eliminate your plans for full-time, meaningful jobs in a career path of your choice. Even worse, elected officials in Washington are proving themselves to be coldly distant from the human costs of unemployment, the personal stresses and frustrations that come from the uncertainty surrounding unemployment.”

“Millennials deserve better from their government, especially in light of what they have already contributed to this country,” Conway continued. “They are the generation that witnessed the 9/11 terror attacks on US soil, bravely responded to fight two wars overseas, selflessly helped rebuild New Orleans and other Gulf Coast communities after Hurricane Katrina, and offered their personal support to those most impacted by the economic collapse.”

“Yet, each day they awake to an economic reality, which includes record high unemployment and limited opportunities.”

“Their message to all candidates is clear – we want to get on with our lives and realize our dreams. However, if the solutions you offer equal less jobs and more debt for our country, you will fail to win our enthusiasm and our vote.”

President Obama’s approval rate is dwindling, according to their 3.4 million members. In July, only 31% of 18 – 29 year-olds approve of Obama’s handling of youth unemployment.

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/article/young-americans-calling-white-house-upset-over-unemployement-of-18-29-year-olds