Millions of young adults who lost jobs in the pandemic are still either unemployed or working in low-wage jobs that don’t cover their basic needs. Even as the U.S. economy starts to recover from the pandemic and ensuing recession, young adults are in danger of suffering lifelong impacts from the disruption to their schooling and employment. One of the disastrous aspects of a recession is that the short-term impact on young workers often turns into long-term damage to their economic prospects. They lose access to training and work experiences at a critical moment in their career development, which lowers future earnings.

How can community-based talent development organizations working with young people make a difference? This report describes four strategies to guide talent developers to navigate a fluctuating economy and help young adults secure higher-wage jobs that can lead to careers.