'Youth Misery Index'

From the Young America's Foundation:

Young America’s Foundation has released its Youth Misery Index (YMI) numbers for 2013, and it’s a record high of 98.6. The Youth Misery Index (YMI) is calculated by adding youth unemployment, student loan debt, and national debt (per capita) numbers.  Young people are experiencing hardships like never before under the Obama administration, and this generation is plagued by the burden of massive government debt.

Youth unemployment in 2013 was 16.3 percent, with almost six million young people between the ages of 16 and 24 not in school or work.  Many young people are simply giving up on finding employment.

Student loan debt for 2013 rings in at a record-breaking $29,400 (29.4 on YMI).  Student debt has risen at an average of six percent per year since 2008.

National debt per capita for 2013 is the highest it’s ever been at $52,948 (52.9 on YMI).  Young people will be stuck paying for government debt they had no part in creating, and they’ll have to do it with less discretionary income than ever before because of record high levels of student loan debt.

Add it all up and the YMI comes out to an astonishing 98.6.  With the growing presence of government in our daily lives, there appears to be a statistically significant relationship between government expenditures and the YMI.  Under the Obama administration alone, the YMI has increased by 18.1 percent, the highest increase under any President, making Obama the worst President for youth economic opportunity—not quite the hope and change many young people were looking for.