Young and Worried About the Future

by Mike Hall, Sep 9, 2009

Today’s young workers, facing a tumbling economy, growing joblessness and stagnant wages, are more than twice as likely to be worried about their economic future than their under-35 counterparts a decade ago.

The recent major study and nationwide survey, “Young Workers: A Lost Decade” by the AFL-CIO and Working America finds that 41 percent of young workers say they are concerned they won’t be able to achieve their economic and financial goals.

In 1999, the AFL-CIO’s young worker survey found that more than three quarters of under-35 workers were hopeful and confident of a brighter economic future, and just 20 percent expressed doubt about their financial future.

What’s fueling the nosedive in optimism? Compared with 1999, today’s young workers face a far tighter job market with higher unemployment rates. They are less likely to have full-time jobs and more likely to be working two jobs to make ends meet, let alone save money. They’ve put their education plans and family dreams on hold.

What can we do to fix the economy and restore hope and optimism for today’s young workers? Post your comments below.

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