What’s worked to help disadvantaged youth get jobs? And how can we get more employers actively engaged in this issue? In this 10-minute podcast, Therese Leung talks with Farhana Hossain, a researcher at MDRC, about the problem of youth unemployment.

Farhana recently coauthored a report, Toward a Better Future: Evidence on Improving Employment Outcomes for Disadvantaged Youth in the United States, that reviews labor market trends and research on employment-related programs for youth over the past 30 years. The Great Recession took a toll on the already dim economic prospects of low-income 16- to 24-year-olds who face structural barriers to employment. The evidence suggests that the involvement of employers in devising education, training, and work experiences that meet labor market demands should be a key component of any policy response.

About MDRC’s “Evidence First” Podcast Series

Policymakers talk about solutions, but which ones really work? Join Therese Leung as she talks with MDRC researchers about the best evidence available on education and social programs that serve low-income people.

Therese Leung is the Director of External Affairs where she leads MDRC’s outreach to Congress, federal agencies, advocacy organizations, and think tanks. Therese used to work as an advisor to the Committee on Education and Labor in the House of Representatives and at the Office of Management and Budget in Washington, DC.