Oregon teen unemployment 30%

Oregon teenagers faced a challenging job market this summer.

An analysis by the Employment Policies Institute found that the state's unemployment rate in July was 30.3 percent, the third-highest among the states.

Using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the institute pegged national teen unemployment at 23.8 percent. Between April and July, the number of unemployed citizens between the ages of 16 and 24 rose by 2.1 million, to 19.5 million.

“The nation’s teens have suffered through a fourth summer of difficult job prospects,” said Michael Saltsman, research fellow at EPI. “As a result, thousands are going back to school having missed out on the valuable career experience that comes from an entry-level job.”

The EPI analysis found that 19 states had teen unemployment rates of more than 25 percent from August 2011 through July 2012. Here is the breakdown:

1. California 35.4%
2. South Carolina 30.5%
3. Oregon 30.3%
4. Georgia 30.2%
5. Hawaii 29.6%
6. Arizona 28.7%
7. Washington 28.7%
8. Louisiana 27.5%
9. North Carolina 27.5%
10. Rhode Island 27.4%
11. Colorado 27.3%
12. New York 27.1%
13. Mississippi 26.9%
14. Illinois 26.5%
15. Nevada 26.3%
16. Florida 25.7%
17. New Jersey 25.6%
18. Idaho 25.1%
19. Kentucky 25.0%