Posted on 12/16/2009 4:06:03 PM PST by george76
the devastating effects of minimum wage laws ... Today's overall teenage (16-19) unemployment rate, at 25 percent, is the highest since World War II. Black teenage unemployment, at 50 percent, is also the highest since World War II.
How do you think the Reverends Jackson and Sharpton would explain the unemployment difference between black and white teens? You can bet the rent money they would say: It's racial discrimination. Let's investigate. Was racial discrimination in 1948 greater or less than racial discrimination today? In 1948, the unemployment rate for white 16-17 year olds was 10.2 percent while that for blacks was 9.4 percent. Among white 18-19 year-olds, unemployment was 9.4 percent and for blacks it was 10.5 percent.
Teenagers tend to be low-skilled. They lack the experience, knowledge and maturity of adults. That means they will be the primary victims of a minimum wage law. But why are black teens more heavily impacted than white teens? Black teens are far more likely to come from broken homes and ... Therefore, a law that discriminates against the employment of low-skilled workers will have a greater impact on black workers. ..
The little bit of money a kid could earn after school and on the weekends is not nearly as important as the other benefits from early work experiences. Any kind of job, paying any wage, teaches a youngster that he must be on time, respect supervisors, develop good work habits, plus there's the self-esteem and pride that comes from being at least financially semi-independent.
Early work experiences benefit any kid but are far more important for kids from broken homes, who reside in crime-ridden neighborhoods ... For Congress to enact higher and higher minimum wages, to benefit their union supporters, is shameful and cruel.
(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...
When I started out as a dishwasher I had to find an employer that would risk the child labor laws.
He paid me the same as the 18 year old beginning dishwasher, and after a year, he wanted to train me as an apprentice cook. I asked to maintain the restaurant equipment, and did that until trade school because I needed more training in equipment maintenance.
With strictly enforced labor law I wouldn't have earned a dime until I graduated from trade school.
Except one might not be flashing gang signs or not have his underwear showing and his crack hanging out.
I worked in a grocery store all through High School on minimum wage. Built one of the best hotrods in LA on that money. Learned how to treat people and work the way the store wanted me to. Kids today don’t really want to work, they just think they deserve the money.
The article from Williams seemed to be short. Was he limited on words? I wish he could have fleshed out his argument more. I think I know what he was trying to say but he didn’t say why black youths were more affected than white/other youths? Maybe I missed something?
The article is short.
Here is an earlier version : Black Youths Miss Out on Good Jobs News.
Many of us had early youth jobs before / after the school day as a kid.
It hurt us none.
Child labor laws helps the union bosses as we did not pay union dues.
I call B.S.
Illegal immigration is the reason there are few entry level jobs for minorities.
If the illegals all left tomorrow we wouldn’t need a minimum wage law. Everyone would be in demand. When I worked construction in HS during the summers..I earned more than minimum wage to clean up the site. There were plenty of black men working for more..there was a shortage of labor. Now..just look at Home Depot and see what you see.
Yet the same minorities vote every year to stay on the plantation.
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