A Starter Wage for Teenagers

If you’re a teenager unable to find a job this summer — or a parent with a teenager hanging around the house — you’re not alone. The latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the teenage unemployment rate was at a stubbornly high 24.5 percent in June, and because the unemployment rate only includes people actively seeking work, the true number of teens who cannot find jobs is likely higher. For most of the past two years, the rate has been above 25 percent.

While the overall weak economy is certainly at fault, another major factor was the decision by Congress and President Bush to raise the minimum wage over 40 percent in the face of a weak economy, without exempting teenagers — thus pricing teens out of the labor market and denying them crucial work experience.

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