Shayne Spaulding, Nathan Sick, JincyWilson, Lindsey Tyson
Urban Institute | June 1, 2026
Supporting Young Adults to Access Good Jobs and Meet Hiring Demands of Employers
Infrastructure workers help people connect to utilities and the power grid, move about society safely, build and update structures, mitigate climate change, and more. Yet infrastructure employers, including municipal governments and private organizations, face current and anticipated labor shortages.
part of the solution
Youth service corps programs could help fill this gap.
Corps programs are in high demand, pointing to the possibilities of expanded capacity. The programs in this study did not face recruitment challenges, and many had wait lists of potential participants. This suggests that with expanded capacity, they could serve even more young people.
Mixed funding structures promote resilience, but many corps programs face funding instability. Programs rely on a mix of public (federal, state, and local government) funding, philanthropic funding, fee-for-service contracts, and individual donations—with public funding making up the largest share. Many programs experienced funding reductions and instability because of cuts to AmeriCorps in 2025 and other federal policy shifts.