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Upcoming minimum wage hike will destroy needed jobs
July 2009 · Kristen Lopez Eastlick · Union Leader
There’s no question that the nation’s unemployment situation is dire. Forty-eight states reported job losses for the month of May, contributing to a national unemployment rate that’s at a 25-year high. Minority teens and young adults have been hit especially hard. The unemployment rate for black teens has skyrocketed to 38 percent, more than four times the national rate. Yet the millions of people looking for entry-level… -
Are summer jobs ‘Going Out of Business’?
July 2009 · Kristen Lopez Eastlick · Charleston Gazette
Do you remember your first job interview? Perhaps you had your heart set on a summer job as a lifeguard, waitress or movie attendant. Hopefully this stress-inducing experience happened for the first time when you were a teenager, giving you the opportunity to tune up your interview skills. And once you secured that first job, you learned valuable, hands-on skills such as reporting to a supervisor, working… -
Economy, minimum wage take a toll on teen jobs
July 2009 · Kristen Lopez Eastlick · Tallahassee Democrat
Do you remember your first job interview? Perhaps you had your heart set on a summer job as a lifeguard, waitress or movie attendant. Hopefully, this stress-inducing experience happened for the first time when you were a teenager, giving you the opportunity to tune up your interview skills. And once you secured that first job, you learned valuable, hands-on job skills such as reporting to a supervisor,… -
My Summer Job Apocalypse
April 2009 · Kristen Lopez Eastlick · Cleveland Plain Dealer
Also ran in: Birmingham News, San Francisco Examiner, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Fort Myers News-Press, Charleston Gazette, Asheville Citizen-Times Exit light. Enter night. Take my hand. Off to never never land! Let’s hope parents enjoy listening to Metallica as much as their kids do. Because when school gets out of session, a record number of teens will be stuck at home playing the new Guitar Hero: Metallica instead of… -
Will Palin Walk Her Conservative Talk Back Home in Alaska
March 2009 · Kristen Lopez Eastlick · D.C. Examiner
Ever since Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin burst onto the public stage in 2008, many in the conservative movement have looked to her as a leader, watching closely to see what she plans to do with the platform, visibility, and popularity she so quickly attained. Republicans in Congress are in disarray, and many pundits are predicting the next leader will be a governor. But unlike other Republican governors,… -
Businesses can’t afford an increase in minimum wage
February 2009 · Kristen Lopez Eastlick · Sheboygan Press
It’s a new economic reality in Wisconsin, and as the Legislature reconvenes, a minimum wage hike proposed for June is currently up for debate. But lawmakers should tread carefully: If history is any guide, inflating the wage rate is a move that will serve only to weaken small businesses and cause entry-level workers to lose their jobs. Increasing the minimum wage from $6.50 to $7.60 an hour,…