Federal stimulus funds will allow Los Angeles to boost the number of teens hired in the city’s summer jobs program, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced on Monday.
With $20 million in federal stimulus funds in hand, Los Angeles city officials on Monday boosted the goal for the Hire L.A. Youth summer jobs program to 16,000 youths from 13,500 last summer.
“Today, Los Angeles becomes the first city in the nation to create jobs for youths using federal stimulus dollars,” Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said at a press conference on the steps of City Hall. About 300 students in the program were standing behind him. “Everybody remembers their first summer job. These jobs will set our youth on course toward a steady paycheck and a better life.”
Safeway Inc.’s Vons grocery chain and Best Buy Corp. each pledged to hire 500 youths for the summer, while Kaiser Permanente pledged to hire 40 employees.
Overall, the biggest pledge came from the Los Angeles County Fair, which promised to hire 600 youths for the summer to prepare for the September fair.
