New research finds teens throughout the D.C. region and the nation are facing the toughest summer employment season in the post-World War II era, arousing concerns not only for their savings accounts, but for future job and educational prospects.
Economists at Northeastern University’s Center for Labor Market Studies expect the summer of 2008 to be worse than its predecessor, when about 37 percent of 16- to 19-year-olds in South Atlantic states found employment. That figure was down from more than 50 percent of teens working in the summer of 2000. Nationwide, only about one-third of teens are expected to earn a summer paycheck, the report said.
“The more you work now, the more you’ll work when you’re older,” said Andrew Sum, the center’s director. “And kids that work during high school are less likely to drop out and more likely to go to college.”
In Maryland and Virginia, youth job counselors have found it difficult to connect with employers as the tight market allows them to be more picky about whom they hire.
“We’ve found a lot of employers saying they may not have many slots available, and they’re looking for older youth,” said Janelle Cauthen, who is organizing a teen job fair to be held May 31 at Montgomery College’s Rockville campus.
Cauthen, who teaches job readiness at a Silver Spring youth center, said she’s expecting up to 800 teens and more than 50 employers.
A Virginia job counselor said an April job fair in Arlington attracted about 1,000 teens but faced the same struggles with employers’ lack of open entry-level positions.
Sum’s greatest concern was for the youth employment gap by family income, race and geography, explaining only about one in 10 low-income black teens living in the District is employed.
But no one feels the anxiety more than the students.
Ana Barrett, 16, a former student at Potomac’s Churchill High School, said she’s turned in 12 applications in the past month but hasn’t received one call back. Her GED classmate Mohammed Ahmed, 16, has met similar pains.
“I don’t care where [to work] right now,” Ahmed said, adding he applied yesterday at three fast-food restaurants.
“Anything would be good for me.”
For more information about the Montgomery County teen job fair, go to letsgetitstartedyouthjobfair.com.
