For teens, jobs come from connections

Merced ranks third in the state's index of "disconnected youth," or people ages 16-19 who are neither in school or employed. Finding a job while a teenager helps grow much needed independence and skills, but when jobs are scarce, what can young people do to find paying work or a path forward? "[H]ere in Merced, with so many out of work, it’s harder to connect with someone who can open doors. That’s especially true for young people from low-income and immigrant communities." Read one Merced youth's commentary about finding the first job, on We'Ced.