Youth of Los Angeles, here’s a downer for your weekend: If you are young and living in Los Angeles, you are most likely also poor, according to a recent report by UCLA’s Labor Center.
The report, titled “Young Workers in LA: A Snapshot," says more than half (57 percent) of young people in LA County between the ages of 18-29 are working low-wage jobs. “Low wage” is defined as less than $13.38 an hour or less, at least by the report. It also says young people who are black or Latino are hit the hardest thanks to unchanging wages, unemployment and the rise in cost of living.
The Labor Center used Census data and other statistics to determine that one of every four workers in LA County are between the ages of 18 and 29 (and about two thirds of those workers are Latino). Young workers are over-represented in retail and restaurants, where more than half earn low-earning pay.
Over the past 10 years, the report says, student loan borrowers increased 92 percent and the average student loan balance increased 74 percent. These hikes lead to young adults moving back in with their parents, racking up credit card debt and other barriers. Additionally, the report states that while young workers are more educated than ever before, they have seen a decrease in average income of 10.8 percent since 2000. Young workers also have a 16.8 percent unemployment rate, while other workers settle at 9.2 percent. Young blacks have the highest unemployment rate at 28.4 percent, according to the report.