Teens competing with older workers for summer jobs

BRADENTON — Recent Bayshore High School graduate Brianna Davis started her summer job hunt in March. She still hasn’t landed a gig.

Davis, 18, is not the only teenager having difficulty finding a summer job in this down economy. The national unemployment rate for 16- to 19-year-olds hovered at 25.7 percent last month — more than double the jobless rate for workers 20 and older, according to federal statistics. June’s national average was 9.5 percent for all workers.

Teens are facing the most difficult job hunt in years, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics .

The national jobless rate in December 2007 — at the start of the recession — showed an unemployment rate for those age 16-19 at 16.9 percent.

The statistics show older workers continue to snap up jobs normally held by the under-20 set, whose nationwide jobless rate averages just more than 10 percent.

Since Davis began looking for work, she’s applied at The Boston Market, Taco Bell and Books-A-Million and four other businesses. Just recently she settled for sporadic baby-sitting jobs and neighborhood yard work.

“With most jobs I would have had to go through training, so no one wants to hire me to place me there for a month-and-a half before I leave for college,” she said.

Other teen jobs seekers like Madelyn Bowman also say the numbers are disheartening.

The 19-year-old Bradenton resident has been sending resumes out all summer. She has not received one call for an interview.

“McDonald’s, Wal-Mart, Burger King. The question is where haven’t I applied? I used employment agencies, everything,” Bowman said Tuesday. “Obviously I’m discouraged, but I’m trying.”

Despite older workers filling teen summer slots to stay afloat, experts say there are still jobs out there for youths.

They just need to be persistent in their employment search, said Shawn Boyer, chief executive officer of SnagAJob.com, an online company that helps job seekers find work in areas including Bradenton and Sarasota.

It can pay off, particularly in retail and restaurants where turnover is typically higher, he said. It’s possible another teen may need to be replaced early to mid-summer because they may have not lived up to a manager’s expectations.

He suggested trying fast-food businesses like Dairy Queen or Chick-fil-A.

Boyer also recommended networking with friends, family and online social media like Facebook and Twitter to get word out about a search.

Another tip, he said, is being open-minded to all positions.

“Teens, especially, must be willing to accept an entry-level job, work a flexible schedule and emphasize a positive attitude and willingness to learn,” Boyer said.

In the interim, Bowman said she’s waiting to hear from an employment agency about a potential interview for a telemarketing job.

Her fingers, she said Tuesday, remained crossed.

“Very tightly,” Bowman said. “I’m wearing my lucky rabbit’s foot.”

Natalie Neysa Alund, reporter, can be reached at (941) 745-7095.