Surveys the history of youth unemployment and identifies key issues underlying the current crisis.

The Youth Unemployment Crisis: A Reference Handbook examines the recent phenomenon in the United States wherein young workers ages 16 to 24 are unemployed or disconnected from the labor force at disproportionate rates. It describes in detail what led to the crisis, who it affects, and what can be and is being done about it.

The book opens with a chapter that addresses the nature and scope of the crisis, which is followed by a discussion of the inherent problems, controversies, and possible solutions. It includes essays from a diverse range of contributors, providing useful perspectives to round out the author’s expertise, as well as a collection of data and documents; an overview of important people, organizations, and resources relating to the crisis; a chronology listing important events in the youth unemployment timeline; and a glossary of key terms.

Explains the nature, scope, and consequences of the youth unemployment crisis in a way that is accessible for general readers

Includes a perspectives chapter that allows for the voices of many individuals to be heard, including those of policy experts and advocates for disenfranchised youth

Gives general readers a better of understanding of who is involved in combating the youth unemployment crisis and provides a foundation for further research in profile and references chapters, respectively

Explores the role that politics played in causing the crisis and how policy could better address it