| This event is cosponsored by The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development and the Urban Institute Respondents: - Jean Grossman, chief evaluation officer, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, U.S. Department of Labor
- Robert Lerman, Institute fellow, Urban Institute; professor of economics, American University
- Ray Uhalde, vice president, Workforce and Education Policy Group, Jobs for the Future
Moderator: - Patrick Boyle, communications director, Forum for Youth Investment
Young people have borne much of the brunt of job losses during the recent global downturn. In the third quarter of 2010, the unemployment rate for those age 15–24 averaged 18.5 percent in 16 member countries studied in detail by the OECD. Nearly 3.5 million more youth joined the ranks of the unemployed than in the corresponding quarter of 2007. Coping with unemployment is difficult for anyone. But for disadvantaged youth lacking basic education, failure to find a first job or keep it for long can have negative long-term consequences on their career prospects -- what some experts refer to as “scarring.” From 2006 to 2010, the OECD reviewed the youth labor markets in 16 countries, including the United States. After diagnosing each country’s situation, a new OECD report reviews what worked and what did not to help youth get off to a good start in the labor market, and makes country-specific recommendations for improving young people’s employment prospects. This synthesis also provides a wealth of promising practices that countries have implemented in recent years, partly in response to the jobs crisis but also to tackle long-standing structural weaknesses in youth education, training, and labor market policies. More information about the full report will be available December 15 at www.oecd.org/employment.
Resources:
- Bios (pdf) At the Urban Institute
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The 33-member Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development brings together the governments of countries around the world committed to democracy and a market economy to support sustainable economic growth, boost employment, raise living standards, maintain financial stability, assist global economic development, and contribute to growth in world trade. The organization, which launches its 50th-anniversary celebration this month, provides a forum for governments to pursue best practices, coordinate domestic and international policies through in-depth comparative policy analysis, seek answers to common economic, social, and environmental problems, and share expertise and information among themselves and with countries across the globe. It is committed to “Better Policies for Better Lives.”
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