The pickings are much slimmer in the summer job market for teens transitioning from at-home schooling to working and making money.
In fact, this summer is shaping up to be the worst for teen employment since the Great Recession more than 10 years ago. That means millions of young workers will be missing out on valuable early job experience and paychecks to bank for things like college or a car.
The gradual reopening of businesses, combined with social distancing and safety requirements means limited job opportunities available for high school and college-age youths, especially in restaurants, retail and recreation.
Then there’s the reality that many employers that had traditionally hired youths for the summer have scaled way back or have shut their doors and gone out of business.
The summer job outlook for teens was good earlier this year, but the coronavirus pandemic changed everything. Well under 1 million teens are expected to land jobs this summer, according to a report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a job placement and career search firm.
People are also reading…
Last summer, more than 1.7 million teens were in the summer workforce, the highest since 2001.
In a recent survey, Challenger found 37% of companies have instituted hiring freezes, while 4% have revoked internship offers for the summer, many of which tend to go to older teens and college-age workers
“If we are able to weather this crisis and get businesses back up and running soon, we may see a surge in teen hiring,” said Andrew Christmas, a senior vice president with the job placement company. “However, teen workers, as well as any job seeker, may be much more wary of accepting public-facing roles.”
The unemployment rate for ages 16-24 hit 27.4% in April, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And it’s expected to keep climbing. Last July, U.S. youth unemployment fell to 9.1%, the lowest level since July 1966.
While it’s an uncertain summer for hiring, don’t let the challenges stop your kids from coming up with strategies to make money.
Many parents working from home are in need of a few hours of uninterrupted work each day and may be looking for a responsible teen to babysit or provide child-care. Teens can also turn their driveway into a neighborhood sports camp, teaching younger kids to perfect their jump shot or soccer footwork.
Kids could also market their computer skills to help adults who are more technologically challenged, whether it’s setting up a Zoom conference or offering tutorials on getting the most out of a smartphone.
Back-to-basics jobs, such as mowing grass or washing and detailing cars, are always in demand even in the midst of a pandemic. Many grocery stores are on a hiring binge for sackers, checkers and shelf stockers, but those jobs also come with some social distancing risks.
There are other ways for youths to gain job experience and keep busy this summer. Even if a paycheck isn’t involved, food pantries and other nonprofit community groups are in need of help as long as social distancing and other safety practices are adhered to.