by Terri DeeIllinois News Connection
CHICAGO - Summer jobs are a boost for companies needing seasonal help. But Black and Latino youths are not seeing the opportunities come their way.
A report by the University of Illinois-Chicago Great Cities Institute has found these teens face
fewer job prospects than white applicants.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security indicates 16 to 24-year-olds have had
the highest unemployment rate among all age groups - including those at retirement age - since 2017.
Great Cities Institute Research Assistant Samantha Sepulveda Santos said some neighborhoods are struggling more than others.
"We can see," said Sepulveda Santos, "that the highest percentages of joblessness among students in Chicago - which is 93% - were found in areas in the South and Southwest. In Hilton, Bridgeport, McKinley Park, Fuller Park, and Back of the Yards."
Recovery time from pandemic-related shutdowns in the Chicago Public Schools system was slower than other area districts, according to the report.
Sepulveda Santos said she believes this data supports the necessity to implement programming for equal employment opportunities.
The report claims more than 163,000 16 to 24-year-olds in Chicago are unemployed and not enrolled in high school or college.
Sepulveda Santos acknowledged that competition is harder for these youths to enter a trade school to receive technical training for in-demand jobs - which could contribute to higher disparity numbers.
"And another factor we allude to as well is that not all people have the same opportunities," said Sepulveda Santos. "Not all people have the same networking, the same preparation for cover letters, for interviews. Most people have a leg up to be able to ask an aunt, an uncle, a neighbor for a job, as other people do."
The institute is seeking funding for a youth employment training program to teach teens about applying for jobs and being productive workers upon hire.
The study also suggests if Illinois spent $300 million on youth employment, crime rates could be reduced.
Figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show in July 2023, the unemployment rate nationwide for Black youth was 18%, nearly 11% for Latinos, and 7% for white youths.
SAVOY - Urbana community leader DeShawn Williams and local union leaders will host a Neighborhood Trades Party this Sunday from 3pm to 6pm at Blair Park in Urbana. A unique job fair, the event is an opportunity to have a burger and casual conversations with leaders of labor unions and some of the area’s largest employers.
“We hope people will come by to not only learn about careers with these companies, but also learn more about labor unions and get to know our members in a fun, casual environment,” said Matt Kelly, Business Manager with Local 149. “Some will have immediate needs, others will have apprenticeship opportunities – it’s just a matter of learning how your skills, experience, and interests will be a good match.”
Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 149, Carpenters Local 243, as well as the East Central Illinois Building and Construction Trades Council, which represents 18 trade unions from across the area will be in attendance. There will also be several companies on hand that employ those union members, such as A&R Mechanical Contractors, P.J. Hoerr, Broeren Russo Builders, Davis Electric, Remco Electric, United Mechanical, Davis-Houk Mechanical, and Henson Robinson Company.
From plumbers to electricians, carpenters to laborers, unions provided guaranteed wages, with many starting at $22 an hour, building to a total hourly package of over $77 after five years of on-the-job training. That’s in addition to industry-leading benefits, including free healthcare and early retirement plans.
For more information contact Steve at steve@arrowstrategygroup.com or Local 149 at (217) 359-5201.
