The Youth Misery Index is a modern take on Jimmy Carter's Misery Index and today stands at a record 90.6!
Here's how they calculate the number:
The Youth Misery Index adds together youth unemployment, average graduating student debt (in thousands), and national debt per capita (in thousands).YAF's call to action reflects my point yesterday that my generation can't depend on short-sighted politicians in DC to represent our interests:
Youth unemployment is at 17.4 percent—one of the highest levels since World War II. Average graduating student debt has reached a record-breaking $26,300. National debt per capita is $46,900—the highest ever. Add it up, and the Youth Misery Index comes out to 90.6 (17.4 + 26.3 + 46.9 = 90.6).
To fix these problems, young people must become more active; we cannot expect policy makers in Washington to fight these battles for us.YAF encourages campus activism to get students involved in reaching out and teaching their peers about conservative solutions to the issues most important to them.
...In other youth misery news, George Scoville points out that the Obama Administration has reversed its position on unpaid internships at for-profit companies. Now Obama has unveiled a new "We Can't Wait" summer jobs program. The problem? Most of the positions will be "unpaid training opportunities." I guess internships are fine since Obama hasn't figured out how to create jobs. Obama's message to young people: We CAN wait for real jobs, we CAN'T wait for empty gestures designed to win back the youth vote in 2012.
