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National job slump will hit teens hard
Are you a teenager with a summer job? If so, consider yourself lucky.
The national job market is looking like it's going to be the worst in half a century, according to labor economists, government data and companies that hire young people.
The cause is the slowing economy, which always hits kids the hardest. Compounding the problem -- like it does many others -- is the price of gasoline, which is forcing some companies to cut back on summer employment, as well as making it more difficult for young drivers to look for work.
The price of gasoline also makes it more difficult to make money when they do find their typically low-paying job, especially if there is any sort of commute involved.
Only slightly more than a third of the 16-to-19-year-olds in the United States are likely to find summer employment this year, the smallest share since the government began tracking teenage work in 1948 according to a Northeastern University in Boston study. That's sharply down from 45 percent teenage employment in 2000.
The situation has been sliding steadily since the late 1970s, when nearly half of all 16-to-19-year-olds had summer jobs.
As economic conditions worsen, young workers often find themselves in line behind unemployed or underemployed adult workers, particularly Mexican immigrants, who often fill jobs traditionally held by younger Americans, like those at fast-food chains.
The advice for teenagers, like it is for anyone seeking a new or better job, is about the same.
Concentrate on obtaining the skills to make yourself a valuable employee, and take the steps you need to market yourself effectively.
Teens also might consider starting their own business such as lawn care or other service enterprise -- imagine the education a high school students might obtain by learning to be his or her own boss.
If all else fails, consider hitting the books or online educational site. Time, even teenage summer hours, is too valuable to waste playing video games.