070208_YoungWorkerstrue1334586686108acckfpPress Release - University RelationsUniversity, Relations, press, release, workers, Labor, Democracy, DeFreitasA surprising decline in the economic status of young people is underway today in the United States and many other high-income nations, according to a new book edited by Gregory DeFreitas, Ph.D., a Hofstra professor of economics and director of the university’s Center for the Study of Labor and Democracy (CLD)./Hofstra_Main_Site/Home/News/PressReleases/Archive/070208_YoungWorkersacckfp1215115424812jrnfar1215118366171Press Release Sub TitleNew book edited by director of Hofstra's Center for the Study of Labor and Democracy examines causesPress Release TitleYoung Workers' Economic Status Declining in U.S., Other Wealthy NationsPress Release Date2008/07/02Stu VincentUniversity RelationsHofstra Hall516-463-6493516-463-5146stuart.vincent@hofstra.edu/More information on the bookhttp://www.e-elgar.com/bookentry_mainUS.lasso?id=12832/Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY – A surprising decline in the economic status of young people is underway today in the United States and many other high-income nations, according to a new book edited by Gregory DeFreitas, Ph.D., a Hofstra professor of economics and director of the university's Center for the Study of Labor and Democracy (CLD).

Young Workers in the Global Economy: Job Challenges in North America, Europe and Japan (Edward Elgers, 2008), gathers the latest findings by an international set of labor economists investigating a wide range of high-profile issues affecting youth in advanced economies – from declining job, wage, and training prospects to workplace health hazards and health care, immigration, union activism, and new policy strategies. The main focus is on the United States, but in the context of other developed nations, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

The book grew out of an international conference held at Hofstra in September 2005. The conference, organized by the CLD and the Hofstra Cultural Center, brought together a diverse set of economists, industrial psychologists, sociologists and labor relations specialists from Canada, Japan, Western Europe and the United States.

"At a time of national recession like this, we feel that this book could not be more timely. The U.S. unemployment rate last month shot up to nearly 19 percent of all teenagers and to one-third of African American teens, and it’s also now in double digits for 20-to-24-year olds," said Dr. DeFreitas. "Coupled with stagnant wages and rising prices on everything from food and fuel to higher education and health care, American youth now have the weakest employment situation in a half century. In this book, we tried to provide a non-technical introduction to the tough challenges now facing youth in the U.S. and other advanced economies and to important differences in the ways that other countries have coped with them. In doing so, we also suggest a number of promising policies and strategies to improve young people’s economic futures."

Michael Reich, Professor of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley, said of the new book, "This excellent collection addresses an important issue: why young people in so many countries experience more unemployment and precariousness than previous generations, and what we can do about it."

The Center for the Study of Labor and Democracy (CLD) is a nonprofit research institute that aims to expand public understanding and discussion of important issues facing working people. CLD pursues a distinctive interdisciplinary research approach designed to produce policy-relevant studies of labor problems and institutions, extending from the local Long Island and New York City labor markets to national and global labor issues. For information on the Center’s activities and publications, visit: www.hofstra.edu/cld

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students can choose from about 145 undergraduate and 155 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business, communication, education and allied human services, and honors studies, as well as a School of Law. With a student-faculty ratio of 14-to-1, our professors teach small classes averaging 22 students that emphasize interaction, critical thinking and analysis. Hofstra offers a faculty whose highest priority is teaching excellence. The University also provides excellent facilities with state-of-the-art technology, extensive library resources and internship programs that match students’ interests and abilities with appropriate companies and organizations.  The Hofstra community is driven, dynamic and energetic, helping students find and focus their strengths to prepare them for a successful future.

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