Summer Employment Becoming More and More Difficult for Teens, Experts Say

It's that time of year again, when school's letting out and teenagers are trying to secure their summer jobs.

Whether in high school or home from college, seasonal jobs, which usually don't require much experience, attract teens who are looking to put some extra cash in their pocket over the three-month period.

However, landing that job as a pool attendant or ice cream confectionist might not be as easy as it once was.

According to a recent study conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, youth seasonal employment has been on a downward trend for more than 10 years. The findings report that just 24.9 percent of teenagers held jobs in the summer of 2011, compared with 50 percent in 2000.

However, a few New Baltimore and Chesterfield Township businesses say this isn't the case for them.

"We are doing our normal season hiring of lifeguards and playground camp staff," said Brian Kay, Director. "We know how many lifeguards we need because it's standard for each summer."

Kay also notes that all potential hirees (ages 18-plus) are still welcome to apply and turn in an application, which can be found on the city's website.

Chesterfield Township hotspot also hires teenagers during the summer, some as young as 14 years old.

"We've increased jobs because we have gotten busier and our business is really booming," said manager Gary Sodini, who notes that he's received more than 300 applications this summer alone. "A lot of the kids come back year after year; out of the 23 that are working here, only three are new."

On the contrary, the BLS, which analyzed data from approximately 60,000 households with youth ages 16-19, suggests that there might be a bit of a background to explain the loss of these summer jobs. While fingers are quick to point to the economic downtown, there are also a few other contributing factors. More students now attend summer school (53 percent), as well as volunteer or pursue other hobbies during the warm weather months.

Ultimately though, the research concludes that "not only is there increased competition for such jobs from other groups, but also, fewer summer jobs are funded through government programs."