Tag Archives: unemployment

Young Adult Unemployment – Does your church community care?

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Earlier this week, I posted how an article that shared a Millennial’s journey through unemployment.

Emerging adults who are unemployed (or underemployed) will not break down the door to your church office asking for help.  They will not demand that the church do anything for them at all.  You might not even know they [unemployed emerging adults] exist.

They do exist.  If your church wants to minister to Emerging adults, then we must seek ways to make a difference in their lives.

Here is a chart recently released by the Economic Policy Institute.

Here are some highlights from the article.

  • …young workers always experience disproportionate increases in unemployment during periods of labor market weakness…
  • Unemployment and underemployment rates among young graduates are improving but remain substantially higher than before the recession began.
  • [These high rates of unemployment]… stems from weak demand for goods and services, which makes itunnecessary for employers to significantly ramp up hiring.
  • Wages of young college and high school graduates are performing poorly—and are substantially lower today than in 2000. The real (inflation-adjusted) wages of young high school graduates are 5.5 percent lower today than in 2000, and the wages of young college graduates are 2.5 percent lower.
  • The cost of higher education has grown far more rapidly than median family income, leaving students with little choice but to take out loans which, upon graduating into a labor market with limited job opportunities, they may not have the funds to repay.
  • Graduating in a weak economy has long-lasting economic consequences. Economic research suggests that for the next 10 to 15 years, those in the Class of 2015 will likely earn less than if they had graduated when job opportunities were plentiful.

May God lead your community to be a place that understands and is willing to do what it takes to minister to Emerging adults.

Ddavid in hat - blackr. G. David Boyd is the Founder and Managing Director of EA Resources.

Responding to the Unemployed Millennials in Your Church

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Here is a piece that was written by a Millennial that I recently met at a conference.

After high school, I went to a Technical College for a two-year Associates Degree in Law Enforcement. After Graduating in 2009, I started searching for a job.  I applied for any job opening in Corrections to being a Police Officer.

After three years and over sixty applications I still did not have a job due to my lack of experience.  During this time, I was living with my parents, and working part-time at Rainbow Foods to help pay my student loans.

© 2008 Erich Ferdinand, Flickr | CC-BY | via Wylio

As a young man, I faced constant discouragement and shame for not having a full-time job and living at home.   People at church would always approach me with the same three questions, “What are you doing?”, “Where do you live?”, and “Where are you working?”   People would keep saying things like, “just keep applying,” but these words were not encouraging.

After three years of applications, I felt the Lord was calling me back to school to get another degree.   I continued my education on-line, and now have a B.A.  Unfortunately, I still don’t have a job, and working part-time with student loans barely covers my loans.

Being 26 years old and living with you parents has some real challenges, but fortunately my parents are very supportive of me.  Sometimes people will suggest that I once again go back to school, and get yet another degree because that job field is hard to get into, dying, shrinking, or because they think you should do something different.

However, more schooling and a higher debt load doesn’t seem hopeful.

I asked the writer some questions about how the church could help emerging adults in his position, and here are his responses.

What can the church do to help people who are young and jobless?

The church could help people who are young and jobless through having specific people checking in on them from month to month.  They should be people who know how to ask the right questions, and equipped to help me in my journey.  I think that they could also create connections so the congregation is aware of those looking for employment.  Members of the church can be part of the network that leads emerging adults to their next job.

What could people say to those who are young and jobless?

People should be more careful how and what they say to those who are unemployed.  I found the words, “I’m praying for you” encouraging, or “I am keeping an eye out for jobs for you.”  The hardest questions are asking “where are you living” because I then have to tell them I still live with my parents – which comes with additional shame.

What do you want people to know or understand about yourself and others like you in the church? 

I want people to understand that getting a degree and finding a job isn’t always easy. I myself never thought I would still be living at home at 26 without a fulltime job, and I think, people need to be more understanding at the difficulties facing emerging adults.   Parents should understand that after graduation, their children might have to live at home while searching for a job – and it should be ok.

What keeps you going?

My motivation comes from God and my parents. I know God is there for me, and is providing for me through this journey.  He always seems to provide encouragement when I need it the most. My parents are very supportive of me.  They have sought to understand my situation, and defended me when people ask why they allow me to still live with them.

EA Resources is seeking contributions from Millennials who want the Church to hear their voice.  If want to contribute, please contact us at gdavid@earesources.org.  These pieces are tagged “Millennial Voices.”