Goodman, Peter S. "Toughest Job This Summer is Finding One." New York Times 25May08. (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/25/business/25teen.html)

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OVERVIEW

In an economy that suffers, teenagers are having difficulty finding jobs, and minority teenagers are suffering the most.  In 2007, only 21 percent of African-American and 31 percent of Hispanic teenagers held summer employment.  There are multiple reasons why teenagers are having difficulty.  Older people are staying in the work force longer and others that lose other jobs are moving to work in retail and restaurants, the jobs teenagers normally land.  Adult immigrants are also seeking jobs and squeezing young people out.  The other factors in low teenage summer employment are connected to college attendance and class.  Preparation for college means some teens choose to do summer programs to build college admission applications rather than work.  Middle- and upperclass families may prioritize many other experiences over summer work.  These teenagers also do not need cash and spending money because their parents supply it.

Even though the youth job legislation was started in the 1970s, and at one point almost half of youth across the country had summer jobs, success in getting a summer job is still influenced by traditional fault lines:  connections of family members, race, and access to transportation.  Depending on the demographic layout of their hometown or city, teenagers need public transportation or a reliable car to get to work.  It is easier to get around in New York City than in Tulsa, Oklahoma or rural towns.  Without transportation, they sometimes cannot keep a job but often do not get considered for a job.  Gas prices fluctuate dramatically, and minimum wage may not offset the expenses of getting to work.  Other teenagers who do not have legal papers face discrimination because businesses see them as a risk and a liability to get caught breaking immigration laws.  It is often a catch-22 for young people.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. What does the inability to find a summer job mean for teens’ use of idle time?  Spending money?

2. Does the shift in immigrant work trends and class-based access also appear in young adults and older adults as well?

3. As the economy fluctuates, how can we keep stability in the youth job market?

IMPLICATIONS

If working as a teenager builds confidence and begins working life for youth, as well as provides them with pocket money, what are the long-term effects of not having a summer job (in the absence of alternative growth opportunities)?  This might affect their long-term work ethic and lifetime earning.  Lack of pocket money and the positive avenues to earn it set young people up to be tempted into the underground economy that involves risk-taking behavior and violence.  We should investigate how the underground economy changes as the market-based economy changes and see if we should pay more attention to it so that it does not become more successful at supporting our youth.

Tamecia Jones cCYS