YOUTH MISERY INDEX HITS AN ALL-TIME HIGH

[Geee]

Human Events:

The Young America’s Foundation calls attention to the “Youth Misery Index,” which it says has been skyrocketing during the Obama years, and has reached an all-time high. Certainly advocacy groups of all stripes love to create headline-grabbing metrics – anybody can work a little math on any numbers they choose and produce a dreadful, or encouraging, indicator. So let’s take a look at how the Youth Misery Index is computed, and what YAF believe it portends:

 

At no point in recent history has life been harder for America’s young people. The Youth Misery Index adds together youth unemployment, average graduating student debt (in thousands), and national debt per capita (in thousands).

 

Youth unemployment is at 16.3 percent—one of the highest levels since World War II. Average graduating student debt has reached a record-breaking $29,400. National debt per capita is $52,948—the highest ever. Add it up, and the Youth Misery Index comes out to 98.6 (16.3 + 29.4 + 52.9 = 98.6).

 

What does this number mean? Like Jimmy Carter’s Misery Index, the YMI uncovers some real threats to our nation’s prosperity. The government is largely responsible for all three problems, and we’ve found a statistically significant relationship between government expenditures and the Youth Misery Index. Each indicator can be tied to government actions.