Saint Louis Job News & Opportunities St. Louis Front Page is a weekly news publication, with daily updates, spotlighting attractions, events, business and hospitality in St. Louis, Missouri and Southwest Illinois. St. Louis News Community Info St. Louis Job News St. Louis CitySide Business News St. Charles News Southwest, IL News Fairview Heights,IL Art Gallery News Hotel News Restaurant News Style St. Louis Not Just For Kids   Downtown Map America's Center Busch Stadium Gateway Arch Scottrade Center Laclede's Landing Old Courthouse Union Station Washington Avenue   Metropolitan Map Casinos Clayton, MO Grand Center Grant's Farm Forest Park Kimmswick, MO MO Botanical Garden Soulard St. Charles, MO West Port Plaza Transportation Lambert Airport How To Reach Us: St. Louis Front Page P.O. Box 1354 St. Louis, MO 63188 Voice: 314-771-0200 Fax: 314-771-0300 To submit news, contact: editor@slfp.com To advertise, contact: advertising@slfp.com Federal- and State-Level Minimum Wage Hikes Hurting Teen Job Market ST. LOUIS (PRNewswire), August 5, 2007 - In July, the teen labor market participation rate - which measures the number of teens with a job or actively looking for a job - fell to 41.2%, according to the Labor Department's July jobs report. This decline indicates that many teens are leaving the job market during the height of the summer job season. The likely causes are state and federal minimum wage hikes, which destroy entry-level job opportunities. The July jobs report also shows that the unemployment rate for high school dropouts rose to more than one and a half times the national level. At 7.1% it is as high as it has been at any point over the last year, except for April when it stood at 7.2%. Decades of economic research show that minimum wage hikes eliminate entry- level jobs, putting particular pressure on minorities and the low-skilled. A Cornell University study found that black young adults typically bear almost four times the employment loss of their non-black counterparts after a minimum wage increase. Specifically, the study found that a 10% increase in the minimum wage will result in an 8.5% decrease in employment for black young adults and teenagers. "This month's numbers show that jobs for teens are evaporating. The federal government is making matters worse by raising the minimum wage," said Dr. Jill Jenkins, chief economist for the Employment Policies Institute. "Legislators should keep in mind that giving up on finding a job is not the same as getting a job." Archived: Strong Global Economy Boosts Demand for Contingent Tech/Engineering Workers Minimum Wage Increases to $5.85 Office-Based Jobs Can Aggravate Dry-Eye Condition Affecting More Than 20 Million Career Colleges Generate Billions in Annual Economic Impact Female Workers Experience Discrimination or Unfair Treatment at Work Productivity Gains When Friends Work Together Lack of Affordable Housing Near Jobs Becomes Problem for Employers and Employees Low-skilled Labor is Being Forced Out of Job Market Nearly Half of Workers Have Misjudged an Employer's Culture Environment - More Than Jobs - Occupying Minds of Today's College-Bound Students Business Executives Underestimate Link Between Workforce Quality and Preschool Education Focus on Preventing Youth Injuries in the Workplace    The Saint Louis Front Page is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Saint Louis area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 1996 - 2008 Moore Design Group .