????硅谷一位一位白手起家、如今已經坐擁億萬身家的企業家兼風險投資人認為，如今的美國年輕人擁有前所未有的大好機會。

????他說：“只要看看我的兒子就知道。”他20多歲的兒子目前正在創辦一家新的公司，而且已從科技界的一些主要投資者那里獲得了數百萬美元的資金支持。他說，這個男孩通過努力工作把握住了成功的機會。

????從這位億萬富豪身居優越地位的角度來看，科技熱潮促使投資者紛紛向擁有適宜項目的年輕人拋出一箱箱的大量資金。事實上，舊金山大部分地區給人的感覺就是，這個世界是一個奇妙而且快速增長的地方，社會企業正在徹底改變各行各業，人人都在攀登經濟階梯。前一天想到的東西在第二天早上慢跑時就變成了現實，而自上世紀30年代大蕭條以來最為嚴重的這場金融危機已經成為被人遺忘了的一個歷史瞬間。

????別忘了，硅谷去年在加州全部新增就業中占據了35％的份額。事實上，自2000年科技熱潮以來，這個地區還從來沒有創造這么多的就業機會。這也難怪，因為硅谷合資企業協會（Joint Venture Silicon Valley）和硅谷社區基金會（Silicon Valley Community Foundation）發布報告稱，天使投資在2012年增長了90％。

????這位億萬富豪在餐會上聲稱，如今阻止一個人成功的唯一障礙就是缺乏激情，缺乏一個宏大的構想。

????然而，他和他的硅谷同行正活在一個泡沫之中。

????金融危機所造成的大量影響仍然重重地壓在美國各地千禧世代的身上，而且對他們獲得工作經驗、拓展職業人脈網絡以及積累足夠資金去冒險創辦自己的企業的能力造成了壓力。

????2013年3月份，美國20至24歲年輕人的失業率為13.3％。一年前這個數字是13.1％。情況沒有多大變化。對于美國25至29歲的年輕人而言，就業前景略有改善：他們目前的失業率為8.3％，相比之下，2012年3月份的這個數字為9％。今年3月份美國整個勞動年齡人口的失業率為7.6％。

????自去年以來，由于經濟原因而從事兼職工作（這意味著他們希望做全職工作，但他們要么被迫縮減了工作時間，要么就是一直無法找到全職工作）的年輕勞動力人數一直呈現增長的趨勢。而且，這甚至還沒有體現應屆高中和大學畢業生面臨的整體就業情況。很多人完全放棄了找工作，他們因為求職沒有結果而灰心失意。

????而這一切的發生正值大學學費債務飆升至歷史高位，這意味著許多千禧世代的年輕人因攻讀學位而欠下成千上萬美元的債務，而學位并沒有給他們帶來任何回報，或者說回報很低。（這位億萬富豪的兒子很可能不必應對這種特定的壓力）。

????這位勤奮工作的億萬富豪為這些統計數據尋找理由，說許多千禧世代的年輕人如今就是太懶了，因而完全是咎由自取。

????但數據顯示，失業越久就越有可能遭受長期失業，因為潛在雇主對于失業的求職者不感興趣。它導致這些失業者未來幾年的工資將會下滑，對雇主的吸引力減弱，自己喪失信心，甚至壽命縮短。

????To a Silicon Valley billionaire, a self-made entrepreneur and venture capitalist, the state of opportunity for young people in America has never been better.

????"Just look at my son," he says. The twentysomething is launching a new company and has millions of dollars in backing from some of the leading investors in technology. The boy did it, he says, by working hard.

????From the billionaire's vantage point, a technology boom has investors throwing suitcases of money at young people with the right projects. Indeed, the feeling across much of San Francisco is that the world is a wondrous, fast-growing place where social enterprises are revolutionizing business and everyone is moving up the economic ladder. Ideas become reality by the next morning jog, and the deepest financial crisis since the Great Depression is a forgotten moment in history.

????After all, Silicon Valley accounted for 35% of the entire state of California's job growth last year. In fact, so many jobs haven't been created in the region since the 2000 technology boom. It's little wonder, since the Joint Venture Silicon Valley and Silicon Valley Community Foundation reports that angel investments jumped 90% in 2012.

????The only things stopping someone from becoming a success today, this particular billionaire asserts over dinner, are passion and a big idea.

????However, he and his Silicon Valley peers are living in a bubble.

????The effects of the financial crisis are still weighing on millennials across the country and their ability to gain work experience, develop professional networks, and accumulate enough money to risk launching their own business.

????The March 2013 unemployment rate for 20 to 24-year-olds was 13.3%. The year before, it was 13.1%. Not much has changed. For 25- to 29-year-olds, the jobs picture has improved a bit more: 8.3% compared to 9% in March 2012. The unemployment rate for the entire working-age population last month was 7.6%.

????The number of young workers in part-time jobs for economic reasons -- meaning they would like to work full-time but either have had their hours reduced or have been unable to find full-time jobs -- has increased since last year. And that doesn't even capture the whole story for recent high school and college graduates. Many have dropped out of the job hunt altogether, frustrated with a lack of results.

????This is all happening as college debt soars to historical highs, which means a bunch of millennials owe thousands of dollars for a degree that is offering no or very low returns. (The billionaire's son probably does not have to deal with this particular stress.)

????The hard-working billionaire excuses the statistics, saying many millennials are just lazy and entitled today.

????But the data shows that the longer someone is out of a job, the more likely they will suffer from long-term joblessness, because potential employers are less interested in out-of-work candidates. This leads to lower wages years down the line, diminished appeal to employers, loss of confidence, and even a shorter life span.