Chasing the (Invisible) Bag: Youth Employment in Minnesota and Wisconsin
In the second installment of this three-part series, YR Media highlights job programs for youths in the Twin Cities and Milwaukee.
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The youth unemployment in Minnesota and Wisconsin are typically much lower than in Illinois. While the specific data for the youth unemployment rate in Wisconsin and Minnesota have yet to be published, their youth unemployment rates tend to be higher than the overall rates due to factors such as little-to-no experience and temporary jobs.
And, Wisconsin and Minnesota, with lower overall unemployment rates and proactive youth employment programs, have fared better than Illinois where systemic issues such economic disparities and minimum wage laws and economic disparities continue to impact job opportunities.
Achieve Twin Cities, a nonprofit organization that provides access to college and career readiness programs in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, held a 2023 web seminar to discuss the state’s youth unemployment rates. They were joined by RealTime Talent, a Minneota organization that ensures young adults and teenagers have the necessary skills when seeking a job.
Erin Olson, director of strategic research at RealTime Talent, mentioned how younger workers are more likely to have their jobs impacted by events similar to the pandemic.
“Younger workers are also more likely than other age demographics to have their jobs impacted. Youth also tend to have lower levels of seniority and work experience, and that makes them more vulnerable,” Olson said.
Minnesota’s youth employment rate has seen better days since the pandemic, however. According to research from Minnesota Employment and Economic Development, the state has seen the number of teens in the labor force grow by 24,600 since 2021. The teen work participation rate went from 53.5% to 54.9% during the time span.
Achieve Twin Cities career and college readiness coordinator Kelsey Massey noted that many youth aren’t fans of certain jobs due to the pay. However, she encourages them to understand what’s on stake for the future when it comes to these jobs.
“How we are changing that around jobs … we are informing students that yes, these are not the highest paying jobs. But the benefits that come with this, and the connections that come are long term,” Massey said.
Other youth employment programs in the Midwest include Earn & Learn in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was started by the city’s former mayor, Tom Barrett, in an effort to give young people in Milwaukee work experience through local businesses and nonprofit organizations.
It includes a summer internship program for 16-19 year olds, along with a community experience group for 14-24 year olds.
Established in 2007, Barrett expressed the need for today’s youth to be in the workforce, as it gears not just Milwaukee’s community, but for all youth to be great.
“There are a shortage of workers in a number of areas. We’re doing ourselves a huge disservice if we’re not training the young people, because they’re the future workforce.” Barrett said in a 2022 video discussing the program. “If we don’t have young people who are trained for jobs, those jobs are simply gonna go somewhere else, and the entire community suffers.”
Rashad Alexander is a Green Bay, Wisconsin-based journalist and an alumnus of Marquette University. He can be followed on Instagram and X @ruhshaaad.
Carleigh Lewis is a high school journalist in Chicago.
Edited by Nykeya Woods