While the official US unemployment rate hovers around 9.5%, the percentage of unemployed young people and recent college graduates is at least twice that figure. And the numbers for young Hispanics and African-Americans are another several points higher. Add the ridiculous $27,000 of debt with which the average grad is encumbered, and the absence of health insurance, and you have a recipe for immense financial pain before a large slice of young work lives has even begun.
80 Million Strong, a coalition of 28 national youth organizations (including HeadCount) striving to help young Americans "own and direct their economic reality," is convening a summit meeting at Washington, DC's Capitol Visitor Center on July 14 and 15 to develop legislative proposals to counteract how unfairly young Americans are effected by the recession. Speakers will include House Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle, House Majority Whip James Clyburn, Jared Bernstein (senior economic adviser to Vice President Joe Biden), and Van Jones (Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality).
Summit Information:
Tuesday, July 14, 2009 – Conference
Capitol Visitor Center, Rm. 215 A&B
8:30am to 7:00pm
Wednesday, July 15, 2009 – Advocacy Day
Capitol Hill
9:00am to 12:00pm