ARE YOU A YOUNG PERSON IN AN UNPAID SUMMER INTERNSHIP (OR NO JOB AT ALL)? ARE YOU ANNOYED THAT YOU COULDN’T LAND A REAL JOB?: Well, understand that when the government passes laws that make it riskier for an employer to fire or lay off an employee (and there are lots of them), it makes employers more cautious at the hiring stage. The rise of unpaid summer internships is one of the economy’s ways of responding to the regulatory environment: The more protected jobs are, the harder they will be to get. Highly regulated employment relationships hurt young people most.

But take heart, we may be entering a period where even those with no job experience (or a blemished record) can land a paying job. I saw a post on my neighborhood notice board recently from a woman who was shocked to get a job offer (apparently after a lot of heartbreak). She needed clothing appropriate for the job—fast. And the neighborhood came up with what she needed. Good-o.