Thread: Why Aren’t High School Kids Finding Summer Jobs?

Why Aren’t High School Kids Finding Summer Jobs?
[James Fulford]

Here’s an article from the Wall Street Journal, via Yahoo Finance, so it’s free: http://biz.yahoo.com/wallstreet/080423/ ... .html?.v=1

High Schoolers Feel the Chill In the Hunt for Summer Jobs
Wall Street Journal
Wednesday April 23, 2:39 pm ET
By Sue Shellenbarger

More teens will be looking for summer jobs this year than last — but fewer will be getting them.

After sinking to a new low in 2007, teen summer employment is expected to fall again, to the lowest rate in the 60-year history of government jobs data. Working teens ages 16 to 19 will slide to 34% of the population, from 34.5% last year, predicts of the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University. That’s down from 45% in 2000 and a high of 48.5% in 1989.[More]

Of course, the biggest reason for this is immigration. See New York’s Other New Economy By William Fronhoefer, or Joe Guzzardi’s Abolishing New England: Cheap Labor vs. College Kids..

Ms. Shellenbarger does mention the I-word as one factor:

Weakness in the economy is accelerating a structural shift in employment patterns. More adults, including unemployed college grads, older workers, former welfare recipients, immigrants and working adults seeking second jobs, are competing for low-skilled hourly posts.

But immigration is the largest factor–there are uncounted millions of illegals in the country. I say uncounted, because they can’t be counted, but it’s something like twenty million.
http://blog.vdare.com/archives/2008/04/24/4536/

Gee, imagine that!

There was a program on CSpan2 (or regular, can't remember which) within the last week or two, in which a House or Senate committee held hearing on unemployment, especially amongst the African-American portion of the population, and in particular, men.

Steven Camarota of CIS (www.cis.org; Ctr for Immigration Studies - a 'friendly' to us) testified that there are approx. 22 million American men that are seemingly alive, but not directly: unemployed, employed, or disabled - in short, they have mysteriously (with requisite sarcasm and irony) 'disappeared' from the available tracking mechanisms put in place by the Federal Gov't (either through State Labor / Employment Depts., Soc. Sec. Admin, etc).

Other basic employment / workforce stats for perspective and reference:

US Workforce: approx. 170 million (of total pop of 304 million)

Number of IAs (official est.) in US: 12 million

Number of IAs working (having jobs) in US: approx. 7 million

US Unemployment Rate: approx. 5% (or 8.5 million of 170 million in workforce officially)

etc.

What does that tell you about the effectiveness or intellectual honesty in reporting labor / employment information??? (to me, not much).

40% of the decline in employment of black men is due to immigration. Foreign workers are taking American's jobs and depressing wages. And while Americans from all backgrounds are being harmed, lower to middle income African American workers are being disproportionately affected.

–Dr. Frank Morris, former Executive Director of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation; February 2008

I remember mowing yards, roofing, heaving work...you know, the kind of work that I am told that I didn't want ?! Yes, I am ULTRA angry that these are no longer available to my kids as they once were!!

As a little kid, I mowed many yards in the neighborhood (charging $2.25 for the entire yard in the late 1950's and early 60's) and picked blackberries in the wild areas behind our house. Charged $0.25 for a quart and $0.35 for a gallon and went aroung the neighborhood knocking on doors to sell 'em. Always had satisfied customers for both the yard and blackberries. A lot of blackberry pies and cobblers were made in that neighborhood during those years.

During high school, I worked as a bus boy and in a factory.

Well, for my part, I just hired the 11-yr-old kid down the block to mow my lawn. He is excited to be making money.

Good for you OC! Keep it up!

Originally Posted by Ex_OC

Well, for my part, I just hired the 11-yr-old kid down the block to mow my lawn. He is excited to be making money.

I blame a variety of factors, the main thing being greedy employers. I also blame poor management at fast food restaurants, for not keeping young employees in-line (sometimes, young workers can be immature and undisciplined, and the managers let the kids run all over them). I also blame, especially in more affluent areas, parents who spoil their children, and don't make them go out and find jobs. They give them everything, and the kids don't want to work.

And, in some low income neighborhoods, people on gov't assistance sometimes don't have the incentive to work...yet another problem.

There's a variety of problems, but first and foremost it's illegal immigration/greedy employers which is hurting our teenagers. The other problems that I listed need to be addressed, as well, though.

There needs to be a way to pair-up prospective employers with our young people, maybe through the school system, but I haven't figured out a way to do that.

Ostrich

Originally Posted by TexasBorn

Good for you OC! Keep it up!

Originally Posted by Ex_OC

Well, for my part, I just hired the 11-yr-old kid down the block to mow my lawn. He is excited to be making money.

Thank you, Texas! I am trying!!!