The Obama administration’s hypocrisy on youth employment

In this week’s episode of “Talking out of both sides of your mouth,” the Obama administration announced they want to help young people find work, but are actively sabotaging their chances of economic prosperity and success.

On Wednesday, the White House rolled out the “First Job” company compact that will help millennials in the 16-to-24 age demographic find employment. The federal government, through this initiative, would actively work with companies to expand access, hiring, and training for low-income teens and young adults, who rely on these jobs to support themselves, their families and have little to no experience or skill.

However, only hours after making this push to help reduce the youth unemployment — a rate which is significantly higher than the national unemployment rate — the White House condemned House Republicans for passing a bill that would freeze the Labor Department’s overtime rule.

The overtime rule, which was set to take effect in December, would double the salary threshold to $47,476 under which all workers are guaranteed time-and-a-half pay if they work over 40 hours a week. That would put an unnecessary strain on business owners to hire more employees and pay more for them too.

“It’s absurd that the White House would tout a new youth employment initiative on the same day that they double-down on a costly new labor rule that studies have shown will clearly make it tougher for teens and young adults to find their first job,” Jeremy Adley of America Rising Squared told Red Alert Politics. “This Administration’s consistent attacks on free enterprise through big government regulations have been terrible for young people that are starting their careers and trying to achieve the American Dream.”