Jay
06-06-2005, 12:45 AM
Summer job market looks bleak for teens
By Shirleen Holt
The Seattle Times
SEATTLE - If the job market is improving again, why can't Barbara Sims get a job at McDonald's?
Other young workers may be wondering the same thing. Despite two years of job gains across the nation, the dramatic drop in youth employment shows no signs of reversing.
Only 36.7 percent of U.S. teenagers will find work this summer, according to the latest forecast from Northeastern University's Center for Labor Market Studies.
That estimate may be optimistic, however. In the past three years, actual employment numbers fell below economists' predictions. If this summer follows that pattern, it could be the worst teen job market on record.
"Normally, 20 months into the jobs recovery, teenagers would not only gain jobs, but they would begin to gain disproportionately," said Andrew Sum, an economist and author of the study released this month. "This time around, they've got zero."
In Washington state, 40 percent of teens held jobs in 2004, compared with 56 percent in 2000. The numbers are better for 20- to 24-year-olds, but still below typical youth employment levels, despite Washington gaining 116,000 jobs over the past two years.
"The lower-wage, entry-level jobs are now being taken by adults," said Caroline Maillard, who heads youth programs for the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County. "And when you talk about teens and young adults who don't have a lot of education under their belts, the trends get more severe."
Sims, a 20-year-old former foster child whose frequent moves cost her a high-school diploma, is aiming for retail jobs. "I've applied everywhere. Starbucks, the Bon, McDonald's, Safeway. They're, like, 'We'll call and let you know.'"
By Shirleen Holt
The Seattle Times
SEATTLE - If the job market is improving again, why can't Barbara Sims get a job at McDonald's?
Other young workers may be wondering the same thing. Despite two years of job gains across the nation, the dramatic drop in youth employment shows no signs of reversing.
Only 36.7 percent of U.S. teenagers will find work this summer, according to the latest forecast from Northeastern University's Center for Labor Market Studies.
That estimate may be optimistic, however. In the past three years, actual employment numbers fell below economists' predictions. If this summer follows that pattern, it could be the worst teen job market on record.
"Normally, 20 months into the jobs recovery, teenagers would not only gain jobs, but they would begin to gain disproportionately," said Andrew Sum, an economist and author of the study released this month. "This time around, they've got zero."
In Washington state, 40 percent of teens held jobs in 2004, compared with 56 percent in 2000. The numbers are better for 20- to 24-year-olds, but still below typical youth employment levels, despite Washington gaining 116,000 jobs over the past two years.
"The lower-wage, entry-level jobs are now being taken by adults," said Caroline Maillard, who heads youth programs for the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County. "And when you talk about teens and young adults who don't have a lot of education under their belts, the trends get more severe."
Sims, a 20-year-old former foster child whose frequent moves cost her a high-school diploma, is aiming for retail jobs. "I've applied everywhere. Starbucks, the Bon, McDonald's, Safeway. They're, like, 'We'll call and let you know.'"