South By North Strategies, Ltd.

A new study by the Economic Policy Institute finds that the current recession has exacted a heavy toll from workers between the ages of 16 and 24. Last September, the unemployment rate for this population reached the 19.2 percent, which is the highest level recorded since the end of the Second World War.

Moreover, relative to their share of the labor force, young workers are disproportionately represented among the ranks of the unemployed. In fact, one in every four unemployed persons in America is under the age of 25.

The graph (right) places current youth unemployment trends in the context of recent recessions.