Chicago Urban League Works to Combat High Youth Unemployment

Chicago Urban League Works to Combat High Youth Unemployment

By Monique Smith

Summer in Chicago means outdoor festivals, al fresco dining, roof top bars and loads of fun for the entire family. It also means more youth on the streets with no opportunity who become victims or perpetrators of crime. Nationally, the unemployment rate remains steady at around 5 percent but rate for Chicago is above average at 6.5 percent. The Chicago Urban League is very concerned about the consequences of surging youth unemployment.

According to a 2016 published report by The Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois at Chicago in comparison to their white and Latino counterparts, 47 percent of young black men ages 20-24 are both out of work and out of school. This is compared to 17.7 percent of Latinos and 9.1 percent of white youth. The Workplace Development Director for the Chicago Urban League, Andrew Wells is very concerned about the high unemployment numbers.

“As summer approaches, the focus must be on providing jobs for our young people. If there were jobs available in Chicago there would be less violence,” he said. Long term unemployment disproportionately affects African-American youth ages 16-24 more than any other racial group of their peers. The question then becomes what is behind these staggering numbers and why are the numbers much higher than that of white and Latino youth? The racial dynamic often plays a significant factor but so does work ethic. “The issue is very complex, you have the issue of individuals being ready for the job market, and it’s also middle age people who are competing for the same jobs. You go into stores like Walmart and who do you see? You see a lot of older individuals in those jobs,” said Wells. Corporations tend to favor older candidates because they are more reliable and have a better work ethic. “A lot of youth come from generations of poverty and don’t have a work ethic because they haven’t seen anyone go to work,” said Wells.

Established in 1916, the Chicago Urban League works for economic, educational and social progress for African Americans. One of the ways they work to combat this issue is by entering into a partnership with Mayor Rahm Emmanuel’s One Summer Chicago, a youth jobs program. Wells stresses how important it is to form these types of partnerships. One Summer Chicago brings together government institutions, community based organizations and companies that will offer 25,000 employment and internship opportunities to youth and young adults.

The Chicago Urban League recognizes the need to help these young people beyond the time the summer programs end. One of the latest initiatives that will accompany their year-round Job Readiness, Career Exploration, Job Placement and Retention Services, is a new program called Opportunity Works. This program provides exposure to career pathways to in-demand job sectors and the project serves 150 disadvantaged youth with limited skills. Wells said, ““Private-sector engagement and investments are critical to improving youth employability by providing training, workplace internships and entry-level jobs to African American youth,” he said.

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