Cross-posted from politicalaffairs.net.

‘Twas the night before the unemployment reports, and all through the clearing,
Young workers slept haunted by jobs disappearing;
Having gone into debt for training and education,
Only to discover no jobs available in their vocations;
Barely scraping by to cover bills and the rent,
Of all unemployed, young workers are 48 percent ;
God forbid they are allowed to build a savings,
Work only one job, buy a house or a haven;
And the cultural implications go often unknown,
Like 1 in 3 young workers still live with parents at home;
And their parents’ situation is no less dire,
Working multiple jobs, and no hopes to retire;
Even grandparents still work to maintain their healthcare,
Too young at 63 to obtain Medicare;
And thus the labor pool is older, no room for the youth,
Unless they join the military, become yet another troop;
Joining those looking for security and a steady income,
Enough to start a family and maybe save up a sum;
So long as they aren’t killed in an unjustifiable occupation,
A lost generation of youth who only wanted paid vacation;
It was a tragedy indeed, that made young workers anxious,
Until something in the distance created a ruckus;

It was then the young workers saw some figures on the horizon,
President Trumka? Arlene Holt-Baker? 

Continue reading Put Young Workers to Work! A Poem