The employment rate among those aged 16 to 19 dropped to 26 percent in 2011, a post-World War II low, from 45 percent in 2000, according to a new study by the Brookings Institution.

In Los Angeles; Riverside, Calif.; and McAllen, Texas, less than 1 in 6 teens have a job, according to the study, CNNMoney reports. Provo, Utah, ranks No. 1 in teen employment among the 100 biggest cities, with a 49 percent rate.

Of course, many teens are in high school or college, but small rises in school enrollment rates can't explain the low teen employment rate, Martha Ross, a co-author of the report, told CNNMoney.

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A total of 1.8 million teens in the 100 biggest cities are "underutilized," which means either they are looking for a job, would like one but aren't looking, or they have a part-time job but would prefer full-time work, the news service reports.

"Underutilization spiked, and that wouldn't happen if people were happily in school and not wanting to work," Ross said.

As for 20- to 24-year-olds, their employment rate slid to 61 percent in 2011 from 72 percent in 2000.

Lack of work is even turning into a problem for college graduates. "The national unemployment rate for young adults ages 20-29 with bachelor's degrees is alarmingly high—nearly 13 percent," Bill Path, president of Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology writes on The Huffington Post.

"Unless changes are made, the unemployment dilemma for young college graduates will very likely continue to worsen."

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