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Young and hungry? Employment levels for young people during Spring 2021

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  • John V Winters

    (Iowa State University)

Abstract

This article examines employment rates in the United States for persons in their teens and early 20s during April and May 2021 compared to April and May 2019. Teen employment rates are significantly higher in Spring 2021 than in Spring 2019. However, individuals ages 20-24 experienced significantly lower employment rates during this time. Differing employment patterns for these two age groups are unlikely to reflect childcare issues or lingering COVID-19 concerns. Restaurant employment rates suggest that weak labor demand is likely not the predominant factor. One plausible explanation is that teenagers are less influenced by generous unemployment insurance benefits.

Suggested Citation

  • John V Winters, 2022. "Young and hungry? Employment levels for young people during Spring 2021," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 42(2), pages 643-652.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-21-00657
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    File URL: http://www.accessecon.com/Pubs/EB/2022/Volume42/EB-22-V42-I2-P53.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Robert E. Hall & Marianna Kudlyak, 2022. "Why Has the US Economy Recovered So Consistently from Every Recession in the Past 70 Years?," NBER Macroeconomics Annual, University of Chicago Press, vol. 36(1), pages 1-55.
    2. Nicolas Petrosky-Nadeau & Robert G. Valletta, 2021. "UI Generosity and Job Acceptance: Effects of the 2020 CARES Act," Working Paper Series 2021-13, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
    3. Ganong, Peter & Noel, Pascal & Vavra, Joseph, 2020. "US unemployment insurance replacement rates during the pandemic," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
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    Cited by:

    1. Bussink, Henri & Vervliet, Tobias & ter Weel, Bas, 2022. "The Short-Term Effect of the COVID-19 Crisis on Employment Probabilities of Labour-Market Entrants in the Netherlands," IZA Discussion Papers 15242, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Henri Bussink & Tobias Vervliet & Bas Weel, 2022. "The Short-Term Effect of the COVID-19 Crisis on Employment Probabilities of Labour-Market Entrants in the Netherlands," De Economist, Springer, vol. 170(2), pages 279-303, May.
    3. Henri Bussink & Tobias Vervliet & Bas ter Weel, 2022. "The short-term effect of the COVID-19 crisis on employment probabilities of labour-market entrants in the Netherlands," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 22-030/V, Tinbergen Institute.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor
    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics

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