Eager to work, teens find a frustrating summer job search
Teen employment fell to about one-third last summer, and analysts say inflation, oil prices and cautious hiring could push summer jobs to a new low.
- Analysis from Challenger, Gray and Christmas found U.S. teen summer hiring fell 25% last year, marking the lowest total since federal tracking began in 1948.
- Many entry-level roles have been eliminated, forcing teens to compete against overqualified candidates for remaining positions. ZipRecruiter economist Nicole Bachaud identifies teens as among the labor market's "most marginalized groups."
- Frustrated job-seekers are blanketing communities with resumes but report fruitless searches. "I'm not unemployed because I'm incompetent," says Jaelyn Chester, a 17-year-old student who has applied to dozens of jobs without receiving an offer.
- Connor Vukelich, who launched the search site Poppin' Jobs, notes that employers "don't see the value in hiring someone without any experience" due to artificial intelligence and higher minimum wage laws.
- A 2022 Pew Research Center report documented similar employment drops during the dot-com bubble and the Great Recession, suggesting current hiring declines are part of cyclical economic vulnerability.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Teen summer employment is headed for its worst year since 1948
Jaelyn Chester will wait your tables or stock your shelves. She’ll wash your dishes or scrub your toilets. If only someone would give the 17-year-old a chance. “I’ve been looking everywhere,” says Chester, an A+ student, high school basketball star and aspiring engineer who has blanketed her community with dozens of applications. “I’m not unemployed because I’m incompetent. I’m unemployed because nobody’s hiring.” The summer job, a rite-of-passa…
Associated Press News
Eager to work, teens find a frustrating summer job search
Finding a summer job is proving harder for many American teens. Federal data shows the share of 16- to 19-year-olds with jobs has fallen from roughly half in the late 1970s to about 3 in 10 today.
Jaelyn Chester will take care of you at your table or replace your shelves, wash your dishes or scrub your toilets, if only someone would give this 17-year-old a chance.
Jaelyn Chester will take care of you at your table or replace your shelves, wash your dishes or scrub your toilets, if only someone would give this 17-year-old a chance.
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