Young People Get Larger Share Of New Hires In N.H.

In 2011, people ages 22-24 made up only 5.2 percent of New Hampshire’s workforce, but 11.7 percent of the state’s new hires. Those between ages 25 and 34 made up 22.4 percent of new hires — a share 4.2 percent larger than their share in the existing workforce.  This, writes Brian Gottlob on his blog Trend Lines, could mean any number of things:

• It could be evidence of a “skills gap,” in that older employees aren’t trained to do what today’s businesses need.
• It could be that companies are hiring young people in greater numbers because they are cheaper when it comes to both salaries and benefits.
• It could be that the kinds of businesses that are growing have a particular demand for younger workers (perhaps Gottlob is thinking of New Hampshire’s growing tech sector).