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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, African American teens have the lowest employment
3rate compared to other ethnic and racial groups; and
 
4    WHEREAS, According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of
5July 2016, unemployment rates were as follows: Caucasians 9.9%,
6African Americans 20.6%, Asians 10%, and Hispanics 11.3%; these
7percentages showed little or no change from the previous July;
8and
 
9    WHEREAS, African American males ages 16 to 19, particularly
10those living in urban areas such as Chicago, face the most
11uncertainty in employment; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Disparities in employment outcomes for young
13African American men and women are longstanding; these labor
14market disparities have many causes, including discrimination,
15lower access to high-quality education, and the dearth of jobs
16in neighborhoods with high percentages of African American
17residents; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Reports note that students who do not work while
19in school face greater chances of dropping out of high school
20as well as having increased incidences of teenaged childbearing
21and juvenile delinquency and arrests; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, The same report also states that higher rates of
2youth unemployment lead to increased tax burdens for other
3workers as governments forego income tax revenue, Social
4Security, and Medicare taxes and have to pay out more in
5welfare and unemployment insurance costs; it is estimated that
6high youth unemployment costs various governments $25 billion a
7year; and
 
8    WHEREAS, The investment to hire youth is lower than hiring
9seasoned individuals; companies have the opportunity to train
10eager newcomers who are technologically savvy and possess
11unique skill sets that could benefit any company; therefore, be
12it
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL
14ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge solutions be
15sought in the form of investment and economic development in
16order to increase the employment rate of African American
17youth, and we urge the business community to work to identify
18and assist young African American adults to find employment
19opportunities.