Employment opportunities for 16-19 year olds in the United States have collapsed to record new lows in the past year. Fewer than 30 percent of the nation's teens have been working in recent months versus 45 percent in 2000 and nearly 50 percent in 1989.

The drop in teen employment rates have exceeded those experienced by all working-age persons in the U.S. during the Great Depression. And here in Massachusetts, teen employment rates have also declined considerably over the past eight years. Between January and March of this year, only 28 percent of the state's teens were employed, a new historic low for the state.

There are many reasons to care about rising unemployment for teens. Getting young people into the job market early is essential to building good work habits and professional skills. The value of learning to handle money, getting to work on time and developing basic customer service skills cannot be overstated in preparing teens for successful career ladders and the ability to eventually support themselves.

Path dependency is strong in teen employment behavior. Disadvantaged teens who work in high school are more likely to remain in high school than their peers who do not work. Teens who work more in high school have an easier transition into the job market after graduation. National evidence also shows that pregnancy rates for teens are lower where female teen employment rates are higher.

The Massachusetts Legislature last week cut funding

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for teen jobs and internships by more than 50 percent, which will affect some 10,000 teen jobs across this state. Due to declines in state revenues, cuts have been made to the Connecting Activities and the YouthWorks programs. Both of these programs have helped provide much needed jobs for Massachusetts teens in large numbers, including those with educational and economical disadvantages. As labor market opportunities for teens have shrunk to unprecedented levels, there is a strong case to be made for their continuation.

Last year in Berkshire County, over 550 students were provided with Connecting Activities internships with over 300 companies, including General Dynamics, Tog Machining, Shakespeare & Company and Berkshire Health Systems. Across Massachusetts, over 14,700 high school students were provided internships with over 5,000 employers. These opportunities were in a wide array of for-profit companies, including many industries in which teens are substantially under-represented.

Last summer, YouthWorks provided employment to 4,260 low-income youth across Massachusetts for summer jobs in the public, non-profit and private sectors. Research over the past two decades has shown that year-round jobs provide more substantial long-term employment and earnings gains for high school teens. This year, YouthWorks will operate year round.

The national and state recessions have taken a severe toll on job opportunities for everyone. But their negative impact on teens and young adults in our state is dramatic. Since teen employment typically lags the recovery of overall employment by at least one to two years, teen employment will not likely begin to recover to any substantive degree until 2012, generating large losses in their preparations for the world of work.

The governor, in light of the legislative cuts should prioritize these investments in our young people's future in the FY 2010 budget with the use of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. Our entire economy will benefit from teens developing good work experience. Dollars invested now will pay dividends in higher earnings and tax revenues for years to come.

Andrew Sum is director of the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University. Heather Boulger is executive director of the Berkshire County Regional Employment Board.