Teen Summer Jobs: More Urgent, And Scarcer

They're Needed To Help Families, But They're Drying Up, And Adults Are Seeking The Same Spots

(CBS)  For generations, a summer job has been a rite of passage for American teenagers.

But this year, teens face grim employment prospects as the recession hits hard.

At the same time many of their parents are out of work, the number of U.S. teens finding summer positions has plummeted to an all-time low, reports Early Show Saturday Edition co-anchor Chris Wragge for the special series, "CBS Reports: Children of the Recession," which is being done in association with print partner USA Today.

Suddenly, Wragge points out, many teens need the jobs to help their families stay afloat, not just for spending money. What's more, the recession is pitting teens against older, more experienced workers for what are traditionally considered summer spots.

Wragge sat down with several students at Bloomfield High School in Bloomfield, N.J. to discuss the teen summer employment scene, and the picture they pained was far from encouraging.

Bianca Rivera, 16, a junior, has been looking for a summer job at a daycare canter, and says, "They ask you your age, and when you say 16 they say, 'OK, okay we'll give you a call after you sign the application,' and they never call."

And Bianca isn't alone.

Students told Wragge they're having a tough time finding work at restaurants, summer camps, furniture and moving companies, and in many other fields. They're told they're not old enough, or need degrees and more qualifications.

One said simply, "It's gonna be extremely hard."

Statistics show that 33 percent of teenagers held jobs last summer, down from 45 percent in the year 2000. And experts predict even lower numbers for this year. Also, when compared to the national average, teens are now almost three times more likely to be unemployed than other U.S. workers.

That worries teens such as 18-year-old senior Akeem Marriott, who found a job at a local supermarket, but only after searching for months. "The way it is for us teenagers nowadays is like, older people are getting jobs easier, because they already have family, houses and more responsibility. So, us teenagers trying to get a job, it's a little bit harder, because employers usually just ease off and are like, 'Oh, yeah, there's other families out there and they need a it more than you guys need it,' not knowing our situation."

Their situations vary, says Wragge, but unlike their older brothers and sisters, these teens aren't necessarily paying for video games or trips to the mall.

"I figure, says senior Jessica Camacho, "that anything that I can pay for with my money will help out my Mom, because I have a younger sister, who also has her expenses."

Senior Samuel Vargas says, "It got to the point that my parents said that I had to help. I have no problem helping. I thought it wouldn't come to this, but it did."

"Just two days ago," says fellow senior Gino Silvera, "I paid my Dad's medical bill that was like 100-something dollars that he couldn't pay, because he doesn't have insurance. And every once in awhile, I give a few hundred for groceries or helping with bills, things like that. ... I don't really use any for myself."

And those teens’ stories are fairly typical, according to Renee Ward, a former corporate recruiter and founder of Teens4Hire.org, one of the largest job-focused Web sites designed specifically for teens.

She told Wragge, “I predict this will probably be one of the worst summers for teen employment. I would suspect probably one-out-of-every-three teens will actually land a job, so that means there will be millions and millions of teenagers who won't be able to find opportunities.”

Where are the jobs going?

“They're going to older adults. They're going to senior citizens. They're going to other people who have been laid off or their 401(k) has been depleted. These are people who really need the opportunities, as well. This year, for the first time, we had more parents calling us to help them get their teens jobs than we had teens calling us saying, ‘Where are the opportunities?’ Obviously, this does affect families tremendously.”

Ward says teens need to persevere. “There are activities that always peak during summer months,” she points out. “Those create opportunities for teens. Like your swimming pools, your recreation areas, amusement parks, themes, your movie theaters, grocery stores -- those activities peak during the summer, so they will always need additional people. ...By the same token, this might be the summer of the teen entrepreneur! There are ways for teens to make money on their own. They have to be creative with their parents and think of different ways in which they could make money. I think we have to change the mindset - that it’s not necessarily about getting a job, but about earning money, and the ways in which you can do that.”

[edawik]

I am the author of the book "Adventures Unlimited; The Guide For Short-Term Jobs In Exotic Places". Over 150,000 international students came to the United States in 2009 to take jobs no one else wanted. Most of these jobs are located in places like Nantucket, Cape Cod, Orlando, Ocean City, Maryland, and so on. Often these jobs pay more than $600 per week and provide employee housing.

There is no shortage in jobs for the American Teen!

[teencamps]

<A HREF=http://www.teenscamp.net/>Teens summer camps programs</A> provide all information and details about programs and schedules. These camps are for the troubled teens and kids with wide range of programs and activities. Camps activities include educational, physical fitness and as well as personality development programs for teens and kids both.
http://www.teenscamp.net/

[1notrub11]

Although I agree with your statement of many of us needing to work longer instead of retiring. I feel inclined to ask why teens should suffer the consequences for the boundless greed exhibited by the baby boomers?
Posted by omega39-2009

I might agree with that, except I know plenty of baby boomers that have not lived in excess and without working will be on the equivalent of welfare. I think this is not constructive. I also do not see how volunteering might lessen their work experience. I would be interested in stats that say how much goes to school or equally important issues for teens and how much to "play". Based on what I have seen, its more the latter.

[sam-kiley]

bonjour,
c'est malheureux de constater cela ..autrefois ce sont les parents qui travaillaient pour subvenir aux besoins de leur enfants entre autres leur offrir des vacances, de nos jours et a cause dela crise les enfants (adolescents) s'y mettent aussi,et cherchent du travail pendant les vacances... mais les "boulots" "jobs" d'été se font de plus en plus rares, alors que des milliers d'enfants(adolescents) peinent pour trouver un travail pour subvenir a leur besoin en nourriture etc..
d'autres privilégiés ceux la s'offrent des vacances de reve..elle est pas belle la vie ..du
moins pour certains..au revoir.

[seezero1]

I think saying "Also, when compared to the national average, teens are now almost three times more likely to be unemployed than other U.S. workers." is not quite right if the rest of that paragraph is correct.

100 - 33 = 67(the percentage of teens unemployed last year); the overall unemployment --> about 10 percent (actually lower if you only consider those who are not teens); 67 / 10 = 6.7

Therefore it should be at least 6.7 times more likely.

If I'm wrong, please post.

[babooph]

The children of the rich need no summer jobs-the parents,having many years of massive tax cuts will send them on fancy resort vacations instead.The rest well........

[inmaryland1]

"Whappened to babysitting, mowing yards, hauling hay, and delivering papers? The things we did when we were teens. Just because it isn't in an air conditioned mall where they can hang out and talk to their friends, doesn't mean it isn't a job. "

Our kids don't need to be "occupied" for the summer. They need to work to pay for fall and summer community college AND work our farm, our fields (for free) and pick up on the housework. We can no longer employ a farm staff to help work the farm. Who around here will pay to have the lawn cut? Absolutely not one person. They do it themselves or trade with a neighbor for the help. The mall is a far, distant memory.

[omega39-2009]

Agreed. Furthermore, given the fact that many who were about to retire or just retired will be attempting to remain in the workforce in order to survive, I suggest that teens try things other than work to expand their experience horizon - how about volunteering?
Posted by 1notrub11

Although I agree with your statement of many of us needing to work longer instead of retiring. I feel inclined to ask why teens should suffer the consequences for the boundless greed exhibited by the baby boomers?

[omega39-2009]

"4 more years of the same" looks pretty darn good about now, a lot better than the DismalCratic party tax and give away, and watching people lose their jobs because social justice and power is more important to the President than executing proven successful economic policy.
Posted by oftencensord

Really? Do you know of some "proven successful economic policy"? Because it sure as he11 wasn't that load of manure sold to us as trickledown, deregulated outsourcing that was pushed by the Repidiot party over the last 28 years.

[debinok1]

If you have Adults struggling where do you think they are going to find money to pay teenagers for babysitting, mowing yards, hauling hay, and delivering papers? It is not about the physicality of the type of work its about what type of jobs are available. Just like how Adults are searching for jobs teenagers are doing the same thing us teenagers don't need to get down graded
Posted by tenny5

Hey guess what? If a single parent is working a full time job they need someone to watch the kids, the elderly still need their lawns cut, hay fields still have to be cleared, and newspapers where they still exist have to be delivered. These may not be the highest paying jobs or the most fun, but if a teen, ANY TEEN, is really wanting to make money these are options. I spent some of my summers unloading fruit at a local venders market. It did not pay well, but it PAID. I spent part of one summer putting ads and flyers in newspapers, again it did not pay well, but it PAID. I spent a full summer hauling hay, hot, dusty, nasty work, but it PAID. Be inventive, use your thinking skills, there are still jobs out there for teens, they just have to be willing to work. Not trying to degrade anyone, just a dose of reality.

[tenny5]

I guess us teenagers have to really break this whole situation down to make people realize what we are really trying to say. If you have Adults struggling where do you think they are going to find money to pay teenagers for babysitting, mowing yards, hauling hay, and delivering papers? It is not about the physicality of the type of work its about what type of jobs are available. Just like how Adults are searching for jobs teenagers are doing the same thing us teenagers don't need to get down graded

[formrusmcsgt]

The teens I know don't seem to want to work. Especially outdoor or physical jobs.
Posted by u-r-right at 1:08 PM : May 23, 2009

They're spoiled, plain and simple.

I started working at the age of 8 picking tomatoes with the braceros for $.25 a lug. You'd never see kids today hustle like that.

[1notrub11]

Adults NEED jobs for things like food and rent.
Children need jobs for things like ipods.
Let them stay home and read or something/

Agreed. Furthermore, given the fact that many who were about to retire or just retired will be attempting to remain in the workforce in order to survive, I suggest that teens try things other than work to expand their experience horizon - how about volunteering?

[number1GI]

YOU WANT FRENCH FRIES WITH THAT?

[oftencensord]

I graduated college in 1980, as Reagan became president. I have had 28 years of steady work and prosperity, I never missed a pay check the entire time. I never worried about my bank, I never worried about GM or my Chevy, I got a 30 year mortgage and paid it off in 20 ! A few years ago, it was hard to find good people to hire ! ... and now kids can't get a summer job?

"4 more years of the same" looks pretty darn good about now, a lot better than the DismalCratic party tax and give away, and watching people lose their jobs because social justice and power is more important to the President than executing proven successful economic policy.

[debinok1]

What happened to babysitting, mowing yards, hauling hay, and delivering papers? The things we did when we were teens. Just because it isn't in an air conditioned mall where they can hang out and talk to their friends, doesn't mean it isn't a job.

[inachu]

Jobs are no longer traditional.
USed to see teens cutting grass an now is some person who has never seen a USA doctor and could be spreading things around town.

[u-r-right]

The teens I know don't seem to want to work. Especially outdoor or physical jobs. The ones that do work are working where their daddies work and make about $14 per hour doing the mail and filing. A far cry from back in the 80's when I cut five lawns, worked at a movie theatre and worked on a horse farm just so I could have a 15 year old car.

[omega39-2009]

Of course you realize that all of this surplus labor will drive the price of labor down.
Soon. we will start to rival the Chinese in terms of the price of labor.
Posted by armyoftwelve

Thats all right, the price of housing will fall, and gasoline, and food, and cable, and cell phone plans, and we will still have plenty of money to contribute to our own retirements and health savings accounts, right? Right?

[armyoftwelve]

Of course you realize that all of this surplus labor will drive the price of labor down.
Soon. we will start to rival the Chinese in terms of the price of labor.