Summer Job Market a Challenge for Teens

Jenny Kim, 19, is one of many San Ramon teens who have found themselves on an unsuccessful job hunt this summer.

She is a graduate from California High School, a student at Diablo Valley College, and has had previous work experience as a waitress at her mother's restaurant, a team member at Target, and a secretary for a Bay Area real estate company.

Despite her impressive resume, Kim has had trouble finding a job and has heard numerous businesses say most dreaded words to a job hunter's ears: "We're not hiring."

"It's really frustrating when employers don't even give you the chance to apply," said Kim. "Your resume doesn't really matter if you don't get to show it to anyone."

This summer, California teens looking to get hired faced the most competitive teen job market in the past decade, and many remain disappointed and unemployed.

Teenage unemployment in California rose to 34.5 percent this June, more than double what it was ten years ago, according to the state Employment Development Department.

One of the reasons for this spike in unemployment is that older workers who were hit hard by the recession are holding on to their jobs rather than retiring. For the first time since at least 1948, workers over the age of 65 outnumber teenage workers, reported California Watch.

"I don't think Safeway has a predominantly younger staff," said PJ Zettle, 18, who has been working at the Safeway in San Ramon for three years. "This may be due to the massive amount of people who are in their 20s to 60s trying to support their families and keep households"

Zettle said he got hired relatively easily in 2007 with no previous job experience, but stressed the importance of a good résumé for current job applicants.

"When I went to (other job interviews), it was taken hugely into an account that I already had job experience," said Zettle. "I noticed a huge difference in the amount of people being hired and it was definitely easier for a teenager to find a job in previous years rather than now."

The fact that employers are more likely to hire experienced applicants to fill positions increases the challenges teen job hunters face.

"I think teens that don't have job experience will find it hard to pump up their résumés because more experienced adults are taking over the job market," said Kim.

Many teens are not working this summer because they chose to participate in volunteer programs or unpaid internships that will better prepare them for future careers.

Karishma Pareek, 15, began volunteering at the San Ramon Regional Hospital this summer instead of looking for paid work.

"I wanted to volunteer at San Ramon Regional because it's an opportunity to be exposed to the medical field, which is the field I want to pursue," said Pareek. "Not to mention, it's good for the résumé."

Research from Northeastern University found that teens with no paid employment are more likely to drop out of high school, become involved with the criminal justice system, and become pregnant.

But the teen crime rate in San Ramon has not increased this summer, said Officer Rob Ransom of the San Ramon Police Department.

"Teenagers can stay out of trouble by keeping busy," said Ransom. "They can do this by volunteering or they can just have some old fashioned fun, like playing sports, going to the beach, hanging out with friends and definitely staying away from alcohol and other drugs."

Teens interested in volunteering opportunities provided by the city can click here for more information.