Justin Bieber is the new face of teen unemployment.
A new billboard, erected in Central Los Angeles, depicts a sad-faced Justin Beiber — enough to make any teenage girl and her mom look twice. “Why is Justin Bieber sad?” the billboard asks.
“Could it be because 24% of teens who want a job can’t find one?”
“Teen unemployment makes us all sad. Unfortunately, raising the minimum wage will only make things worse,” the billboard reads, prompting readers to visit a website containing minimum wage information.
The billboard was placed by the Employment Policies Institute in an effort to thwart President Barack Obama’s proposal to increase the minimum wage by drawing attention to the possibility of higher unemployment.
“According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, minimum wage earners ‘tend to be young,’ with one-half of those earning the minimum wage under the age of 25,” Michael Saltsman, research director at the Employment Policies Institute, said in a statement.
“Economic research shows that raising the cost to hire and train these entry-level employees forces employers to scale back on job opportunities when they can’t raise prices to offset the cost,” Saltsman continued.
The group chose Justin Bieber as their bannerman because his supporters are the primary ones suffering from the high minimum wage, according to the group.
“[T]he group did not reach out to Team Bieber before putting up the ad, but … it did purchase rights to the Bieber image through Getty,” The Huffington Post reported.
Supporters say that regular increases are necessary to keep the minimum wage from being eroded by inflation. Opponents say such increases are harmful to young workers and minorities.
“A minimum wage hike will only keep more teens from acquiring valuable experience at a first job — and possibly from being able to afford tickets to one of Justin Bieber’s concerts,” Saltsman argued.
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