No work for teens...wonder why?

The experts are mystified by the fact that teenage unemployment is at 25% nationwide, 30% in California? They are also surprised that unemployment, in general, is higher in California. As a resident of the state of CA, I am not at all surprised. I have seen the trend happen over the last 30 years or so. We also have the largest number of illegal immigrants in our state. That is why, hearing the teenage unemployment statistics today did not come as a surprise, or seem like a coincidence to me. I'd already noticed the trend a while ago.

Employers hire the cheapest labor they can find. A few years ago I asked my friend, while we were out shopping, if she had noticed that all the jobs where you used to see teenagers, now there were Mexicans. She noticed it, too. It's frustrating, because, when you go into a department store nowadays, you can expect to receive no service, because the employees that work there these days don't know the stock, or the lingo, and can't really answer any questions...in all fairness, in the past, teenagers weren't much better, but at least sometimes they could answer a question, or might know what you were talking about, when you were trying to describe what you were looking for. Now, it's just accepted as a given, that when you go into a store (unless it's a mom and pop establishment that has been around for years, and is actually manned by the owners), you can expect to be on your own, because nobody is capable of helping you, except to take your money at the cash register.

Blame it on the greedy employers/corporations. In order to save some money, and make even bigger profits, they're hiring illegals instead of resident teenage citizens, because the employers can pay the illegals less, and give them less (or no) benefits, as well. It's a win-win for employers who have no scruples (which here, in California, seems to be just about everybody - even organic farmers hire illegals to work the fields).

So, I don't see why the experts are surprised, except that they are unwilling to face what is really happening in this country. We have more illegals than we can comfortably handle. Experts might not want to face the fact that, actually, illegals have a great deal to do with the country's unemployment problems. My ex-husband was forced out of a job by illegals, and had to find a whole new occupation, when all his clients started hiring illegals for $2 less per hour. They truly are taking away jobs from citizens, including teenagers, as now reported, and the situation has become really bad, because employers have gotten used to paying unfair, lower wages, and not reporting to the government, and not offering benefits, and basically making out like bandits, while screwing both the legal citizens who they are no longer hiring, as well as the illegals they now do hire.

It's sad that nobody wants to make the connection between unemployment and illegal immigrants. And nobody wants to address the issue of why they are coming here in the first place - why can't they make a living in their own country? And nobody really wants to enact legislation that would stop this practice, because nobody wants to go up against the employers who are only concerned about their bottom line, and illegal workers cost them way less than Americans, even than American teenagers, apparently.

If illegals could not find work here, they would not be coming here. If they couldn't find housing, they couldn't stay here. There should be laws, with serious penalties, enacted, against employers and landlords that perpetuate this detrimental cycle.


I kinda miss the ditzy teenagers.