Manpower Issues and Options

Beatrice Reubens' paper provides an international comparative approach to the study of teenage unemployment and
related policies. Her paper suggests that, while several
industrialized countries experienced comparatviely low
teenage unemployment throughout much of the post-World War II
period, teenage unemployment in these countries has been
affected by the recent recession. Moreover, she questions
whether the conditions that supported lower unemployment
in those countries might now be on the wane. Specifically,
Dr. Reubens cites demographic factors, apprenticeship and
transition programs (such as job placement of school graduates) as being significant determinants of teenage unemployment. Comparing youth programs in the U.S. with those
of other countries, she observes "a greater variety abroad
but also less dependence on public service employment."
The experience of foreign countries with wage subsidies
was of special interest to the participants. In addition
the discussion included such intangible factors as various
degrees of paternalism by firms and unions toward youths
in different countries. The significance of socio-economic
mobility was also discussed as one of the influences affecting unemployment among youths.
Sar Levitan's paper focuses on the situation in the
United States. It addresses the question of whether or
not specific, targeted policies, such as changes in minimum
wage legislation and various public employment and training
programs, can play a major role in dealing with teenagers'
problems in the labor market. Professor Levitan states
that general labor market conditions have a major impact on
the unemployment situation for teenagers. He argues against
the differential minimum wage as an approach in the current
context because of the potentially adverse effect on other
groups. Until the economy returns to tight labor markets,
he proposes that policies be focused on the approximately425,000 long-term unemployed teenagers, He suggests such
policies as community job creation, the expansion of stipends
for institutional and apprenticeship training, and an expansion in the Job Corps.
Much of the discussion of manpower policy in the United
States centered on the problem of establishing priorities.
To what extent should policies be targeted on particular
groups of unemployed teenagers, such as nonwhites? What
priority should be attached to year-round versus summer
job programs? What should be the relative emphasis on
cyclical versus structural problems of teenagers in the
labor market?