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Last updated on Tuesday, July 28, 2015
(UNDATED) - Teen unemployment is falling slightly in Indiana.
Department of Workforce Development Spokesman Joe Frank says that's good news for young people still seeking jobs this summer.
Teen unemployment dropped by 2.7% in 2014 from 2013. Despite the drop, Indiana's teen unemployment rate was 19% in 2014. Those are the latest numbers.
Frank says youth and lack of experience contribute greatly to teen unemployment. However, Frank says as the state inches toward full employment - 4.5% unemployment - the labor market will tighten, wages will increase and teens will face less competition for jobs traditionally held by young people. In short, older people will seek higher-level employment.
Frank says more teens have steadily been entering the job market since the end of the Great Recession.
State findings appear to be bucking a national trend. A Pew study shows less than one-third of 16-17 year olds nationwide worked a summer job in 2014.
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