The summer before my senior year of high school, I got my first summer job at the Lakewood Gottschalks. I felt sooo grown-up. I got a real paycheck that I got to deposit in my OWN bank account. I wore a nametag. And I sold about a zillion pairs of shoes.
Turns out it’s a good thing that I got that job many, many years ago because summer jobs are no longer the norm.
According to The Associated Press, fewer than three in 10 American teens now hold summer jobs. The trend has been on the decline since 2000, with employment for 16- to 19-year-olds at its lowest level since World War II.
Washington state is likely to have the fourth highest number of teens looking for jobs but unable to find them, behind Washington D.C., Arizona and California. Teens are more likely to find work in Wyoming, North Dakota and Oklahoma.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests teen employment may never return to pre-recession levels.
Several factors can be attributed to the decline: many teens are spending the summer taking classes, attending camps or participating in other college-related activities; and adults are filling more lower-skilled jobs as they struggle to find work in a shaky economy.
According to the story:
Economists say teens who aren’t getting jobs are often those who could use them the most. Many are not moving on to more education.
“For young high school graduates or dropouts, their early work experience is more closely tied to their success in the labor market,” said Harry Holzer, labor economist and public policy professor at Georgetown University. He said the income gap between rich and poor is exacerbated when lower-income youths who are less likely to enroll in college are unable to get skills and training.
About 5.1 million, or just 29.6 percent, of 16- to 19-year-olds were employed last summer, compared to 1978, when nearly 60 percent of teens held jobs. Teen employment remained generally above 50 percent until 2001.
I see a lot of juniors and seniors during Prom season and have heard how hard it is for them to get jobs. One 17 yr old, works for her mom, but isn't interested in that work as a career. She tried to branch out and eventually gave up because even a local shoe store can't hire under 18; apparently due to a trash compactor on site. I'm all for safety, but it's gotten to be ridiculous. While volunteering is a great idea, it lacks the satisfaction of earning a paycheck and all the experience of handling your own money.
By the way, in my case of volunteering with a presidential campaign, I met older people who pointed me to someone they knew who needed some help at the local pizza place. Instead of dropping out and being non-productive for the summer, I engaged in work without pay and as a side benefit discovered the value of 'networking' to find work. Today there are so many opportunities to give time to worthwhile organizations, including campaigns. Consider going to your church and helping with their programs, the Boys/Girls club or YMCA, clean-up groups, the local food bank or kitchen or just be creative. Just don't give up.