Event -- Young and Older Workers: (Not) Entering and Exiting the Labor Market

Watch the live video webcast at
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/urban-institute-events.  

Panelists:

• Roberta Gassman, former secretary, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
• Harry Holzer, Institute fellow, Urban Institute; professor, Georgetown Public Policy Institute
• Richard Johnson, senior fellow and director, Program on Retirement Policy, Urban Institute
• Kerry Owings, program manager, Westside Youth Opportunity Community Center
• Margaret Simms, Institute fellow, Urban Institute (moderator)

The national unemployment rate—9.4 percent—is bad enough. But for young people trying to get a foothold in the job market, the numbers are dispiriting: the unemployment figure for people age 20 to 24 is 15.3 percent, for teens it’s 25.4 percent, and for black teens it’s 44.2 percent. At the other end of the age spectrum, a comparatively modest 6.9 percent of adults 55 and over are unemployed, but when they lose their jobs it takes them much longer than younger workers to become reemployed.

Young people’s lifetime opportunities take a long-term hit when they confront delays in entering the labor market, while older adults have to dig into their retirement savings to make ends meet when out of work for long stretches of time.

Join us for a discussion about policy solutions that can help young and older workers navigate a labor market in turmoil.

Resources:
- Bios
- Johnson: "How Did 50+ Workers Fare in 2010?"
- Gassman: "Workforce Challenges" and "Plant Closings and Mass Layoffs"
- Gassman: "A Better Future for Wisconsin" brochure
- Gassman: Key Middle-Skill Opportunities in Wisconsin
- Gassman: Wisconsin Industry Partnership flyer

At the Urban Institute
2100 M Street N.W., 5th Floor, Washington, D.C.