President Barack Obama relied largely on young voters to win re-election last month. Why so many of them supported him is a puzzle, in view of the enormous unemployment rate among younger Americans.
Here in West Virginia - where not one of the 55 counties gave Obama a majority - the numbers are even worse than elsewhere.
Just 40 percent of West Virginia's residents ages 16-24 had jobs last year, compared to 50 percent nationwide, according to the KIDS COUNT organization.
The state level was down from 53 percent in 2000.
About 56,000 teenagers and young adults in West Virginia are neither in school nor working, according to analysts.
Why the high rate of unemployment among young people? There are various reasons, including increased competition from older men and women trying to find work in a tough economy.
But there are other explanations, including the education system's failure to provide young West Virginians with the skills needed to land jobs or to take advantage of higher education.
And, KIDS COUNT notes, too many young people are not willing to get their feet in the door by taking "starter" jobs.
Doing anything about that would be difficult, of course.
But improving the education system is something West Virginians can - and should - tackle.
