Caught between ailing fiscal budgets, rising gas prices and adult competition, teen jobseekers in Connecticut and across the nation will have a tough time finding summer work, a jobs expert says.
Chicago outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. projects in its annual summer employment outlook that seasonal hiring among teenagers is likely to see little improvement from last year’s historic lows.Â
But there are opportunities for aggressive, focused teens to find work in this economy, the expert says.
“Any teen hiring gains achieved in the slowly improving private sector could be offset by losses in the public sector, where teenagers often find summer employment as camp counselors, lifeguards, office assistants, laborers and clerks,” said Challenger Gray CEO John A. Challenger.
Last year, teen job seekers experienced the weakest summer job market in decades. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that from May through July employment among 16- to 19-year-olds increased by just 960,000 jobs. That was down 17.5 percent from 2009, when teen employment grew by 1,163,000.
The 960,000 summer jobs filled by teens represents the lowest level of summer hiring since 1949, when teen employment increased by 932,000 during the summer months. Additionally, government statistics reveal that the 5,290,000 16- to 19-year-olds employed last July is the lowest July total since 1959.
In contrast, employers hired more than 1.7 million teenagers during the summer of 2006, bringing total employment for this age group to 7,494,000 in July, which historically represents the annual peak of teen employment.
“If gasoline prices continue to rise, typical private-sector teen employers, such as amusement parks, hotels and resorts, landscapers and other businesses that suffer when energy costs increase, could also cut back seasonal hiring plans,” Challenger said.
His advice to teen jobseekers: Start early and be aggressive.
Rather than computer games, apply those skills to plying Internet classifieds and news stories for job leads and submit job applications online. Tap parents, your friends and your friends’ parents for leads.
Remember, Challenger says, to get away from the computer at times and walk into a business, introduce yourself to the manager and ask about job opportunities.
Also think odd-jobs, he says. Despite families cutting back on household expenses, chores such as lawn care and house cleaning are necessary. Teens who can do them at a fraction of the cost of professional services may find steady income there, Challenger said.
