From USA Today:

In 2000, the teenage landscape was a different place. Destiny's Child and 'N Sync topped the music charts, Survivor popularized the new "reality TV" genre and, most retro of all, employers were still hiring teens…. Minority teens are especially hard hit. For every 10 percent increase in the minimum wage, there is a 7 percent decrease in employment for black and Hispanic teens, according to a 2007 study for EPI by David Neumark, a professor at the University of California, Irvine. Currently, black and Hispanic teen unemployment rates (38 percent and 29 percent, respectively) are significantly higher than that of white teens (25 percent). Why such a high disparity exists isn't clear, although higher high school dropout rates and less access to transportation and professional networks likely contribute. Even more worrisome is the potential long-term effect. The overall black and Hispanic unemployment rates are seven and three percentage points higher than the white unemployment rate — and if minority teens don't get those vital first jobs, these dismal disparities could grow.

For the full story, please visit http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-06-22-column22_ST_N.htm.