Eager to work, teens find a frustrating summer job search
Challenger, Gray and Christmas said teen summer jobs fell 25% last year, with inflation, oil prices and cautious hiring expected to cut openings further.
- Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, analyzed by Challenger, Gray and Christmas, shows teen summer job placements fell 25% last year, marking the lowest hiring total since federal tracking began in 1948.
- Federal data indicates a long-term contraction in youth labor participation, with about one-third of 16- to 19-year-olds employed last summer, down from a peak of about 60% in the late 1970s.
- Frustrated teens describe fruitless application sprees: 16-year-old Demie Njea estimates she applied for more than 100 jobs, while 17-year-old Jaelyn Chester and 19-year-old Max Stephenson report difficulty finding work despite extensive efforts.
- Connor Vukelich, who launched the search site Poppin Jobs this year, notes that employers "don't see the value in hiring someone without any experience," as artificial intelligence and minimum wage laws discourage hiring teens.
- Nicole Bachaud, an economist for ZipRecruiter, identifies teens as among the labor market's "most marginalized groups," explaining that opportunities at the start of the career ladder have dried up for young job-seekers.
49 Articles
49 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.
Telemundo 20
Jaelyn Chester will take care of you at your table or replace your shelves. She will wash your dishes or scrub your toilets. If only someone would give this 17-year-old girl a chance. “I’ve looked everywhere,” says Chester, a high school basketball star and aspiring engineer who has flooded her community with dozens of applications. “I’m not unemployed because I’m incompetent. I’m unemployed because no one is hiring.” Summer work, a rite of init…
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