The teen summer job situation
Jun 9, 2017, 7:44 PM
A national report says more teens are not getting jobs over the summer, in part because they would rather get more schooling.
But Utah officials say the number of teens employed is ticking back up since the recession and there are plenty of opportunities out there this summer.
Fast food, cashier, or lifeguard seem like typical summer jobs for teens. But they could get something more. Utah Department of Workforce Services regional economist Cory Staley says Utah employers are looking for workers and there are plenty of opportunities out there that offer on the job training, too. During the recession, teens had to compete with adults for the same jobs and employers could be picky. Prior to the recession, 7 percent of the jobs over the summer were youth. It was 3.2 percent in 2011, but is rebounding to 4.1 percent from in the latest numbers in 2015, he said.
National numbers show teen employment is down. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says 16 to 19 year olds are in summer school instead. Or if they are working, it’s an unpaid internships for college or something off the radar like babysitting or lawn mowing.