Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Panel: Building the Knowledge Base on the Effects of Summer Youth Employment Programs

(Employment and Training Programs)

Youth summer jobs programs have experienced a resurgence of interest and investment since the Great Recession, driven by concerns about high unemployment rates among young people, particularly those who are low-income, black, or Hispanic. While there is a clear conceptual case for summer jobs programs—providing early work experience for those who might otherwise flounder in the labor market—promoting employment and economic security among disadvantaged young people is not a straightforward proposition. To succeed in today’s economy and earn middle-class wages, a young person needs to graduate from high school or earn an alternate credential, enroll in and complete some post-secondary education or job training, and then enter the labor market with skills that match employer demand. There are many points along that pathway at which a young person can get off-track, particularly young people of color and those from high-poverty neighborhoods. By comparison, a summer jobs program is a relatively short-term intervention that does not involve intensive services. The increased attention and resources directed to summer jobs programs has been based on a thin body of research as to their effectiveness. In the past few years, however, several new evaluations have expanded the research base on summer jobs programs. Studies of programs in Chicago and New York City found that participation in a summer jobs program led to reductions in violent crime arrests, incarceration, and mortality, as well as improved academic outcomes. Notably, however, the research to date has not found increases in earnings or employment rates. In this session, we will hear from authors about their research on the effects of summer jobs programs in New York City and Boston, and on the role that a summer jobs program can play in a young person’s life. What are the possibilities and limitations of a summer program as a lever for positive change? What should the program goals be: violence prevention, income transfer, academic success, positive youth development, and/or improved labor market outcomes? What do we know about program design and implementation as they relate to achieving program goals?