Nearly Half Of Unemployed Americans Are Under 34 Years Old: Study

The kids are not alright. So not alright, in fact, that about 45 percent of the nation’s unemployed are between the ages of 18 and 34, according to a recent report from Demos, a public policy organization. In addition to the more than 5.6 million young people who don’t have a job, there are about 4.7 million young employees who are underemployed or working in jobs for which they’re overqualified, the report found.

That's not only their problem. Studies have shown a clear link between youth unemployment and a boost in the crime rate, from which everybody suffers. And if you’re looking for recent examples of such instability, there are plenty to choose from -- Arab Spring or London riots ring a bell?

Unfortunately, it seems we have a long way to go before youth employment reaches levels anyone would dare describe as normal. Demos found that U.S. employers need to add some 4.1 million more jobs before young adults will be employed at levels similar to those before the recession.