YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT TOPS 80% IN PARTS OF CHICAGO, NEW REPORT SHOWS
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CHICAGO, May 15, 2025 ~ A recent report released by the University of Illinois Chicago's Great Cities Institute has shed light on the alarming rate of joblessness among youth and young adults in Chicago. The report, commissioned by the Alternative Schools Network, reveals that more than four out of five teens in certain parts of the city are currently unemployed.

The report, titled "Youth Employment Data Brief: Racial and Geographic Inequities in Youth and Young Adult Joblessness and Disconnection in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, and the U.S., 2019–2023," highlights the persistent and severe joblessness among young people, particularly those from Black and Latino communities. Despite an overall improvement in labor market conditions since the COVID-19 pandemic, many young people remain disconnected from both school and work.

To address this issue, a coalition of nonprofits has proposed a job-training and placement program that would be funded by a $150 million appropriation from the state. According to coalition members, this program could provide jobs paying $15 per hour to 50,000 unemployed youth and young adults throughout the summer and for the entire year for those not in school.

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Representative Justin Slaughter (27th), House chairman of the state legislative Black Caucus, believes that this program would not only provide meaningful opportunities for young people but also make communities safer and strengthen the state's economy. "With these jobs and some social services that will be available to participants," he said, "the young people would feel prepared to navigate conflict and able to ask for support they need to succeed in the workforce."

The report's key findings include:

- Young Black adults in Chicago are twice as likely to be jobless compared to their white peers. In fact, 47.6% of Black 20- to 24-year-olds in Chicago were unemployed while only 19.5% of white individuals in the same age group were without a job.

- One in seven Black 16- to 19-year-olds in Chicago were both out of school and jobless, which is more than four times the rate for white peers.

- In some areas of Chicago's South and West Sides, youth joblessness exceeded 80%, while the out-of-school and jobless rate for 20- to 24-year-olds was above 30%.

The report also highlights the effectiveness of youth employment programs. Evidence shows that these programs not only decrease violent crime but also provide academic and long-term financial benefits. For example, a program in Boston saw a 43% drop in violent crime arrests during the program, resulting in an estimated benefit-cost ratio of 11:1. Additionally, a New York summer employment program led to an increase in the number of high school Regents exams taken and passed.

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Senator Willie Preston (16th), Senate chair of the state legislative Black Caucus, believes that these numbers show the urgent need to prepare young people for their future roles in the economy. "We can't continue to leave our young people behind," he said. "Job programs for them get us a long way towards that goal."

The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of targeted actions from policymakers and institutions to expand access to employment, skills training, and mentorship opportunities for young people in communities hardest hit by unemployment and economic hardship.

Jack Wuest, Executive Director of Alternative Schools Network, believes that investing in young people will have long-term benefits for the state's economy. "One of the major goals of this program is to get employers to get to know, and then hire, these young people full time when they have finished school," he said.

In conclusion, it is clear that urgent action is needed to address the high rates of youth unemployment in Chicago. By providing meaningful opportunities for young people through job-training and placement programs, we can not only improve their lives but also strengthen our economy for years to come.

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