Immigration Bill to Provide Jobs for Youth

 The U.S. Senate passed an immigration reform bill that includes $1.5 billion over two years for youth jobs. The provision, proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), would help states and local communities find jobs for more than 400,000 unemployed 16- to 24-year-olds. Currently, the official unemployment for that age group is 16.2 percent.

States will be able to use this funding to provide summer and year round job opportunities to young Americans until September 30, 2015. It is anticipated most of this funding will be used to provide summer job opportunities for young Americans during the summers of 2014 and 2015. Each state would get at least $7.5 million.