Teens Going Jobless This Summer

On the surface the job number sure looked impressive. But as one economist put it - it was all frosting and no cupcake, reports CBS News correspondent Anthony Mason.

The recovery looked to be losing momentum last month. After creating more than 200,000 jobs in April, businesses hired only 41,000 in May. Better than a year ago ...

"But it's nowhere near the kind of growth we need to put the 15 million unemployed workers in this country back to work," said Heidi Shierholz with the Economic Policy Institute.

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Blog: Summer Jobs Scarce for Young People

The job market is especially tough for teenagers spilling out of high school. They face one of the worst year's ever for summer jobs. The unemployment rate for teens is more than 26%.

"I'm hoping and I'm praying. I really need a job this summer," said Brittany McKenzie.

Some teens say they have been told flat out that they don't need teenagers this year.

At a high school in Eastchester, New York, senior Tara Byrne has found work as a ski camp counselor -- all the way across the country in Oregon.

But many of her classmates haven't been so lucky.

"They said we'll call you if we need you. And I never got a call," said Tsunagu Ichigawa.

At a job fair in White Plains, New York, 15-year-old Rebecca Pearl says there's just too much competition.

"It's hard to get now because a lot of college students are coming back and taking positions that usually the high schoolers would get,'' said Pearl.

"So the fact that we're having this real dearth of jobs right now can have lasting effects for this cohort of kids that just don't get that summer experience," said Shierholz, the economic analyst.

And for the typical unemployed worker, the average time to find a job now has reached nearly 5 and a half months.

[paletyper]

looking at the big picture, there's a huge oil disaster in the gulf where help is needed and, teens are jobless. i see a connection here. have you worked with young adults, teenagers, before? when they put their mind to it, they can get stuff done fast! someone in their 50s, the other jobless group, may have good intentions but, they can't keep up with an energy filled young adult. why not get some "resume eye-candy" by helping out in the gulf? BP are you out there .. ?

[rwsmith29456]

There was a recession on when I got out of school. I pounded the pavement and felt like a Dickens character out in the cold looking in the warm windows. Dozen's of people said they wanted to hire me but the just didn't have any work. If people are having a hard time finding work I really feel for them and I hope things turn around soon but nobody gurantees you a job and you are going to have to work just to GET one.

[babooph]

The number of young men wandering around jobless is an ugly thing-likely with ugly results...

[random_radar]

That is what we have prisons for. I hear they need fresh bodies in Afghanistan, too. Keep raising the minimum wage so that young men can't get a job and they will turn to crime or have to die in some faraway war. War and prison are America's disposal system for unwanted people.

[wtcmedicdidntforget]

The illegal now has your job..... thank your goverment for that.

[tiredofthebs]

Illegal immigrants took jobs that most turned their noses up to!!!!! Now that MicceyD's is your ONLY option, your mad 'cause that options no longer available to you???!!!! So many hypocrites in America!!!!!!!

[tiredofthebs]

oops ..... "you're"

[Quietdsp]

After this financial crisis, wouldn't be wise for them NOT to just seek a 'job'? They need to live and not worry about all the materialistic things. That is what caused this financial turmoil. We are a nation of consumption ****** and this crisis did very little to wake us up.

[jimbot1957]

Toss out the minimum wage and make it easier to hire an inexperienced teen. Too easy, so the Politicians won't do it!

[LIBERALS-lie]

thank OBAMA for the lack of JOBS- esp. if you voted for him...

[saddair]

Here in Arizona, we passed a law a couple of years back making it a crime to hire undocumented workers. Getting caught the second time with hiring an undocumented worker will cost you your business license. It's a pretty stiff penalty. Since that time, from my perspective, what appeared to be jobs being performed by undocumented workers are now being filled by high school students. Perhaps if other states followed our lead, they might have some success getting their part-time high school students some extra work. Never know!

[Berkeley-SkirtLifter]

AZ is obviously full of ageists! Yes Ageists. Making those poor young people work, sweat shops i tell ya, sweat shops! ... they'll lose there texting skills if they have to work, and who's gunna play wii? These youngsters don't even know how to clean their rooms yet, and AZ is putting them in the workforce? How inhumane!

[drthvader]

Saddair: That's exactly what I've been saying. The illegals take the jobs teenagers once had. I know that because in the past teens had jobs picking peaches etc. Now they sit on my corner and talk on cell phones.
What are they to do?
Go Arizona!
I am a registered democrat but on this one issue I agree with Arizona.
Why not ask the readers to view articles such as "The Horrors Behind the Doors of a Drop House.
I can't blame Obama for this illegal debacle. This should have been done a long time ago.