Job market for Arizona’s youth is improving

PHOENIX — Economists said the jobless rate among young adults could cost the U.S. about $20 billion over the next 10 years.

While Hillary Clinton has formed her own posse targeting the problem, Arizona is working on it, too, beginning with Valley mayors’ initiative to improve graduation rates, and job fairs targeting 16- to 24-year-olds.

“We just had one through the City of Scottsdale, a teen-opportunity expo, focusing on companies that are looking to do just that,” said Theresa Maher with Phoenix-based Jobing.com. Many of those companies are still hiring.

Lately, Maher said city parks, hotel and restaurants, as well as retail stores, were posting jobs aimed directly at young adults, many offering management growth programs. She said Jobing.com was hiring, too.

These days, Maher said, more corporations target younger new hires, “because we find candidates of that age don’t really have the bad habits to break and they’re eager to get started in the work force.”

That fresh attitude can help younger candidates not only land a first job, but also keep it and progress into the next generation of managers.