The unemployment rate for teens 16 to 19 reached 13.6% in August, up from 13.2% in July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistic. That compares to the overall unemployment rate of 4.4% in August.
A large number of employers are tapping online personality tests to predict the skill and character of potential entry-level job candidates. A report released last month by JobsFirstNYC, shows that 18 to 22-year-olds who turned in applications to 42 major companies in New York City in 2012 and 2014 were asked a multitude of questions.
In some cases, it was as high as 200. These extensive questions turned off many candidates from completing the applications and this was especially prevalent for poor applicants with limited access to the Internet. “If the way to get in now becomes more difficult because you can’t get past this personality assessment test, then the opportunity to get this experience becomes more limited,” says Marjorie Parker, the executive director of JobsFirstNYC.