Nutter, With His Own Cash, Urges Philadelphia Businesses To Create More Summer Jobs

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - There is a severe shortage of summer jobs for teens in Philadelphia, so Mayor Michael Nutter and the Urban Affairs Coalition are urging businesses to provide or support additional internships in July and August.

Mayor Nutter says he dug into his own bank account and is asking members of the business community to match his thousand dollars to support summer internships.

Last summer, about 36,000 teens applied for nearly 12,000 jobs in Philadelphia.  This summer there are fewer opportunities, according to Urban Affairs Coalition president and CEO Sharmain Matlock-Turner (seated at left in photo).

"The Philadelphia Youth Network has completed 14,500 applications for 5,500 available summer work-ready jobs," she said today.

The Urban Affairs Coalition, traditionally one of the largest employers, has processed more than a thousand applications for just 500 jobs.  The summer jobs drought is due in large part to the city's budgetary woes.

Reported by Paul Kurtz, KYW Newsradio 1060