Are anyone else's teenagers having trouble getting a job?

[w8liftinglady]

My 17 year-old have submitted no less than 50 job apps since May.He has not been called for ONE interview.He is a normal teen-age boy,looking for a fast-food/grocery/restaurant position.Am I the only one seeing this as part of a larger problem?I see a LOT of people my age working at these places now.

[leftofthedial]

1. teenagers?

Hell, *I* can't get a job. 2 years, 750 resumes--1 interview.

[w8liftinglady]

2. I hear the numbers of jobless reported as a ridiculously low number

like-4.5% or something.I see a totally different scenario taking place here.

[leftofthedial]

7. lies

I know dozens of unemployed and grossly underemployed people, mostly 45 - 55, who spent decades working hard, paying taxes, raising families and now are losing (or have lost) everything.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

32. Yeah, I'm in that group.

Been unemployed and underemployed for years, starting back in 1994.
Have three degrees -- associates', bachelors', and doctorate.

[Captain Hilts]

52. #s employed is more accurate. Folks like me don't show up as 'unemployed'....

and don't qualify for unemployment because I am not applying for a minimum of three jobs a week - I'm taking the time to finish a graduate degree.

[RogueSpirit]

9. 2 years, 750 resumes--1 interview?!?

Umm, that's pretty bad. What is your preferred profession? have you considered lowering the standards for what you are willing to do? Tried to get help with your resume? I mean in 2 years, you could have gotten an associates degree in something different.

I mean that's a LONG time, I am employed full time as a direct hire with the company I am with and I get 3 or 4 calls/emails a week from recruiters that I have to turn down.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

3. Fast Food Restaurants, Gas Stations, Supermarkets, Are Always Hiring. That's Just Weird!

Has he applied at places like McDonalds, Burger King etc? I thought when you applied at places like that you almost always were able to get in.

[kestrel91316]

14. Word at all the fast food places here in SoCal is that unless you are

fluent in Spanish (English apparently irrelevant) you can't get hired - they have so many employees that ONLY speak Spanish that they have to make sure everyone can, or they run into communication issues......

[lonestarnot]

60. Guess mericans better learn the language si o no?

[TheFarseer]

73. you've found the problem

Illegal immigrants don't bitch when you make them take out the trash or mop the floor. They can work whatever hours and they don't need time off to go to school. They are displacing American workers whether people want to admit it or not. Also, I think to a much lesser extent, older folks that can't afford to retire are taking up some of these jobs.

[T Wolf]

4. Not just teenagers, but college students as well. A new tactic

that employers use is also happening which is the reverse. They hire many young people but only give them 4-8 hours per WEEK. They really treat them as expendible (and disposable) resources - kind of like * treats the military.

[Giant Robot]

27. That happened a lot when I worked at

One large chain video store. There were 7-8 employees for a very small store and the non-managers(5 of them I think) got 8-10 hours a week. And that was the rationale, so that they would always be "hungry" for more hours in case someone quit/called in, and so they could be easily replaceable in case of same. Fucking sucked.

*cough cough blockbuster cough cough*

[tyedyeto]

5. The restaurant where I work has had an ad in the paper for a month

For bussers. We've had 3 or 4 replies. 1 did not pass the pre-employment drug screening. 2 wrote on their applications that they had problems 'getting along' at previous jobs. The 4th we hired but we are still looking for a couple more.

Best wishes to your son in his search.

[Wcross]

12. Why would you "drug test" a busser?????

Is that a job that endangers peoples lives? I think this drug screening crap is getting ridiculous. If the kid doesn't perform properly you fire him/her.

[RogueSpirit]

19. Insurance?

Employers are liable for the safety of their employees. These companies get huge breaks for enforcing a no drug policy.

[tyedyeto]

31. The policy is that ANY new employee has to pee in a cup.

I don't agree with it either but if you want the job, you do what they want or you aren't hired. It is becoming more and more standard even in this industry.

[devilgrrl]

70. "drug tests" are bullshit! Who's profiting from them? And what are they protecting us from?

Biggest scam ever.

:nuke:

[Norquist Nemesis]

6. Around here, people who are already employed believe

there are PLENTY of jobs to be had in precisely the places you're referring to. We have restaurants, coffee shops (Starbucks and Caribou), and retail shops galore...all with NOW HIRING! signs that cause them to think that. The problem is: They're NOT hiring. The most that can be said is that they're taking applications.

Examples: Three years ago, the Spaghetti Warehouse put Now Hiring sign up. My (then) 17 y.o. daughter was going to be needing a job going into and through summer. I called to inquire what type of position(s) they were hiring for and was told, "We've already filled that position, we just haven't taken down the sign yet." The sign still hasn't come down three years later.

Caribou, Starbucks, McDonalds, etc. all have 'Join Our Team! Now Hiring!' but don't have applications on-site. They tell you that you have to apply on-line. Same with Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowe's, etc. etc. etc. Call backs don't work--the manager's won't take the call.

Seems unless you know someone already working where you're looking who will step to the plate and vouch for you, pffft! *sigh*

[lander]

8. Speaking for Starbucks...

I can say from experience, having been in management with the company, that stores always have paper applications on-site; if they're not hiring, the applications are forwarded to new stores and/or stores in the market with hiring needs.

That said, Starbucks generally doesn't hire anyone under 18, and they don't hire for summer employment -- only permanent.

[Captain Hilts]

17. And they make you work full-time. nt

[tammywammy]

40. When I worked there they didn't

:shrug: There were quite a few part-timers that I worked with in my three years at Starbucks.

[lander]

41. Absolutely not.

During most of my tenure at Starbucks, I was also teaching high school 4-6 hours a day; however, I made sure to work 20 hours/week so that I'd receive full benefits (including excellent health & prescription drug coverage for myself and my girlfriend, to whom I am not married).

While most of my partners worked at least 30 hours a week, I worked with a number of people who racked up only 8-10 hrs./wk.

It's such a shame that some folks choose to paint Starbucks as a "big box retailer" or a "fast-food chain" when their mission statement explicitly prohibits conduct becoming of those sorts of places. Starbucks really is a different kind of company, and I'm not just saying that because I used to work there.

[Captain Hilts]

46. In MD, they wanted only full-time. They even fired a history teacher who had been...

working summers at Starbucks for years.

[NickB79]

47. Starbucks health coverage extended to your girlfriend too?

Wow, that is amazing. The company I work for is unionized and has excellent health insurance, but even they won't extend it to an employee's significant other.

[Madspirit]

77. Starbucks always

...has had domestic partner benefits.
Lee

[NickB79]

78. Excellent

I had a coworker who worked part-time with me at the factory, but she couldn't get health benefits unless she was union, which meant she would have to be full-time. She couldn't work full-time since she went to college. So, she worked 20 hrs/wk at the factory, worked 20 hrs/wk at Starbucks for the health benefits, AND went to community college for radiology. I'm trying to convince my girlfriend to quit her job at the mall and let my friend hook her up with a job at Starbucks too.

[Madspirit]

76. Starbucks doesn't make you work full time

...and they are GREAT about flexible schedules.
Lee

[VP505]

10. Was watching a

news report on people protesting the building of a new Wal Mart last night. They had some Wal Mart employees and others there to support the new store, one older man said he was 66 and Wal Mart was the only place that was willing to interview him for a job so he was there to support building the new store. Pretty sad when a man that age, with a lifetime of work experience needing a job has to protest in support of building a business to get that needed job.

[Horse with no Name]

42. You need to read about the High Cost of Low Prices at Walmart

my mom also picketed the opening of a Walmart because the addition of a Walmart to a community--while seemingly creates jobs--it runs other businesses out of town. Then THOSE people lose THEIR jobs. It is a vicious cycle.
http://www.walmartmovie.com/

[TahitiNut]

11. Do country clubs still have caddies?

I'm not part of the "golfing set" so I don't know ... but when I was old enough to work legally (14 here in Michigan), I started by caddying. Of course, that was at a time (late 50s) when most teenagers I knew of actually did get summer jobs ... not like today.

[WhollyHeretic]

21. No one uses caddies anymore

When I was 14 (16 years ago) I was a caddie at a golf course with a friend. Everyone got carts. We just sat there not getting paid. We tried 3 Saturdays in a row and we caddied for 9 holes each the entire time.

[TahitiNut]

25. That's a shame. Carts were outlawed on the courses when I caddied.

They tear up the course and nullify the aerobic benefits of what's purported as an athletic game. The pros still adhere to such principles. When I was a teen, being a caddy was one of the best ways to work in the summer, learn how to smoke, and learn about sex. Those were an essential part of growing up.

:evilgrin:

[Deja Q]

65. Machines do the work of caddies. Funny how offshoring is discussed but offpeopling isn't.

So much for family values, human life, and so on?

OTOH, genetic modification is an endeavor to allow more people to eat.

Therefore the truth is in the middle.

[kestrel91316]

13. My niece and nephew in WI have had no luck so far. Niece, 22,

is a summa cum laude grad of NYU and will be starting in the fall in grad school. Can't find a summer job.

Nephew, just finished his first year at UMinn with a 4.0, has submitted over 30 apps and can't find a summer job.

My guess is that the immigrant population of questionable status in the area is at 100% employment, for less than minimum wage, under the table. Got to keep increasing those quarterly profits, you know.

[ellisonz]

36. Or maybe the economy is just bad?

:shrug:

[kestrel91316]

37. Haven't you heard? The economy is great!

I know folks here in Los Angeles, adults with college educations, who can't find SQUAT. They are willing to work at jobs they are overqualified for, for little pay, but those are gobbled up by our local version of the backwash.

[ellisonz]

38. Yup, the problem is with the employers not the workers.

I grew up in Hermosa Beach and Pasadena (public school), so I've got a very good understanding of the corporate/education/race/poverty dynamic that dominates Los Angeles. But of course Hillary wants more H1B visas. I am so scewed when I graduate...I better enjoy my last year of freedom!

I'm going to have to pimp these two LA books:

http://www.amazon.com/Southern-California-Island-Carey-McWilliams/dp/0879050071/ref=sr_1_1/105-6375967-7925217?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181950712&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/City-Quartz-Excavating-Future-Angeles/dp/1844675688/ref=sr_1_3/105-6375967-7925217?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181950759&sr=1-3

[SoCalDem]

54. Summer jobs don't really exist anymore.

When I was young, stores would beef up for summer because all those out-of-school teens would hit the stores and shop shop shop..and the 'regular' employees would take vacation time....I think that's not happening so much now..

First of all, most places no longer HAVE full-timers who can afford, or who have paid vacations. so no need to "fill the gaps"..and teens are all trying to scramble for money, so maybe they are not wandering in and out of shops, buying stuff..

And all the attendant paperwork that goes along with hiring people may make it less attractive to employers to hire people who will only be there a few months at most..


And so many places have cut their regualr staff to the bone, and perhaps they do not have the business to hire new people when they have "laid off" or "downsized' people they could just call back..

:shrug:

[nosillies]

15. Sorry to hear that, it's so depressing to apply and interview and having nothing come of it

Once is bad enough -- when it happens repeatedly, it leads to a vicious cycle of low self-esteem.

I just got through helping a company with a major hiring cycle, so I have a little insight into what employers are/are not looking for these days.

Let me say that it is harsh these days. Many, many companies are now deciding that they would much rather be short-staffed than hire anyone who is less than perfect. Turnover is way more expensive than the occasional complaints/customer service issues you have from being understaffed. In many cases these days, especially in high-touch positions, an applicant must be perfectly groomed, very well-spoken, have a great personality and be willing to work the least desirable shifts.

Also, contrary to popular belief, many employers want full-time workers, and they don't want someone who's going to quit in two months to go back to school. It is very expensive to hire and train a new employee. No one wants to waste that money on someone who isn't going to be there very long. That's what makes older employees much more desirable.

And please don't take this personally, because your son may be outstanding, but many teens just don't have a clue when it comes to applying and interviewing for a job. (For that matter, many adults don't either, but they have a slightly better track record.:D) I can't count the number of teens I've seen walk in to apply for a job in cut-off shorts, smacking gum, no eye contact, mumbling, talking on their cell phones, etc. Even if you're applying at Taco Bell, you'd better show up for that interview in your nicest dress clothes! Hell, you'd better look sharp even when you go in to request an application -- you're ALWAYS being scrutinized. I recommend to all teens that if there is no type of career training program at their school, then they should seek out one of the many governmental agencies that provide free training on how to interview, fill out applications, create a resume, etc. Applicant quality in many markets is so low these days that anyome who walks into a business looking very polished and holding a resume can often get an immediate interview and an immediate offer of employment. I've seen it happen repeatedly.

Teens should actively seek out seasonal employment at places where other teens congregate -- amusement parks, swimmming pools, younger clothing outlets, etc. These places love to have temporary, young, energetic and friendly employees.

Best of luck to your son. Tell him to keep his chin up. It's hard, but a positive attitude is the best thing to bring with him when he goes to fill out an application.

[TexasLawyer]

24. very helpful post

thanks

[w8liftinglady]

29. Your post was right on...

and,yes...I have to inspect my son before he goes out to apply,we have done many "trial" interviews,so I can coach him on his presentation.He is no Rhodes Scholar,and if you could make a living playing video games,he would be perfectly content.But-he DOES want to work,and would do a good job...he HAS to..mommy can't afford to support his habits anymore...

[Hekate]

45. Cheers. It's all in life's lessons, isn't it? You're being a good coach.

My experience from high school days is that June was too late to apply for summer jobs -- the end of April and beginning of May is better.

Your county might have a youth employment program, and though it might turn out to be targeted to "at-risk" youngsters it's still worth checking out.

The different PIRG groups (locally it's Cal-PIRG) seem to send out their student employees on a seasonal basis, carrying petitions, asking for membership sign-ups. More and more I see ads in the paper indicating paid employment for low-level political workers like that. Next summer when he's 18 your son might look into that, especially since it will be a presidential year.

I spent one high school summer canning pineapples, and Hillary Clinton spent a college summer in Alaska gutting fish, which sounds even worse. Ah, seasonal employment. At least with "pine" you only get acid burns from the juice.

With my teenagers, since I wasn't at home during the day and didn't want them at loose ends (i.e. getting into trouble of some sort, which they were good at) I tried not to leave too much to chance. When they were between 13 and 16 I actively read ads, asked friends, picked up flyers, and made phone calls in the spring of each year. My daughter got an internship with a social-work/social-justice group at a sister UU church in another city when she was 16, but I was the one who saw the flyer, shepherded her through the application process and made sure the thing actually made it into the mailbox on time. My son did a summer of supervised house-painting because of a program with the county that I found out about.

At 17 your son doesn't need this kind of close supervision, but he still needs your help and you are giving it to him. Best of luck to both of you, this year and next. :hi:

Hekate

[H2O Man]

16. In my area,

it is more of a case of "it's who you know" than I can ever remember. The teens who are off from college for the summer rely on family and friends having connections, or they are generally out of luck. My younger son, who just turned 20, has been able to find some work roofing, painting, and with a shovel.

[Captain Hilts]

18. Fast food are hiring Hispanics and the elderly now. FAR fewer teenagers. nt

[WI_DEM]

20. I've heard this too, supposed to be more reliable than teens though

my first job was in fast food and I was reliable, so who knows?

[Captain Hilts]

22. Correct. They don't come in hung over and don't call in sick on a nice day. nt

[DFW]

23. 1 for 2

My elder daughter who is 24 and in NYC is still looking.
The younger one found a job translating legal documents
from German to English (she is pre-law and we raised
them bi-lingually, German-English) in D.C. at $25 an
hour, much as she wants.

Luck of the draw, I guess.........

[pingzing58]

26. Case in point for learning more than one language.

Knowing more than one language is always an advantage. 
Congrats to your foresight!  She can be a tour guide at a
museum, anywhere really.  There will always be a market for
multi-linguals.  ausgezeichnet

[DFW]

57. German isn't the most exotic language out there

Unfortunately! But full literacy in both, even in college
students isn't as obvious in a bi-lingual as one might think.
Indeed, both my girls, whose preferred language is German,
have done better on papers written in English than their
US-raised peers, simply because they pay more attention to
what they are doing.

My brother's sons, whose mother is Japanese, are both very
disappointed with their mother for never having talked to
them in Japanese, but preferring to use her broken English.
Being perfectly bi-lingual in Japansese can get you a far better
paying job than a museum guide. She could have given them both
a golden ticket to eternal job security, and didn't.

[blues90]

28. I find this to be the case depending on where you live

I am far past 17 but in so calif most fast food and stores hire hispanic workers and many other place require you speak both english and spanish , I also find this at many other jobs here . There is a desire for the all in one employee whether the employee is an idiot or not .

Also if you have a good education they feel you won't stay , it is just a leap job .

In my case at 58 many low pay jobs feel you will quit as soon as your regular line has an opening . I see not one older person working in any super markets or fast food places here at all and not one white . It;s the same in construction or repair shops or factories .

This is L.A. calif a very rough place to get a job now days .

A year ago I got interviews from emailed resumes , this has ended , I do not get one interview .

There must be a thousand emails and app's tossed out daily because someone has to look through them and who's going to do this , they may just take the first app that may appeal to their liking visually , who can say , you know people .

[rainbow4321]

30. Think it just depends on where you live

Last summer both my kids got jobs--one of them got a full time daycare job and then she did part time at a Sonic at night..so she was working like 60 hours/week. The other was hired by a national chain movie theater that hires kids as young as 15 yrs old. She still works there and even though she started out at 7 bucks an hour, she has gotten enough raises since then to where she now makes (a year later) like $7.57/hr. Every time she goes shopping to her favorite store at the mall, they ask her of she wants a job there.
The one that worked at the daycare center last summer is choosing this summer to stay in Austin where she goes to school. She found a full time job once again as a daycare teacher even though she only had 3 months experience as a teacher's aid gotten the summer before.
I'd say 95% or more of the fast food workers around here are Hispanics who look to be in their 20s or 30's, whether it be a drive thru place or Subway. The places that hires the most teens around here are Sonic and the movie theater.
You all should see if there is a Sonic around where you live.
Sonic is wonderful here cuz the kids get tax-free tips. My kid would make up to $40-50 bucks/night in tips each night. Work 3 nights like that and it's $120-$150 tax free per week in tips alone. Her particular store still paid min. wage (not below, like some restaurants do) so she got that plus tips.

[Clark2008]

53. Do they hire boys, though?

I was just sitting here thinking that I've never seen a male car hop at Sonic. I have a son who is far too young to work, but this thread has made me wonder what life will be like for him when he has to go out and work in eight years.

I worked from the time I was 16 on so that I could afford car insurance and to purchase my own things. I also chipped in for books that weren't covered in my scholarships once I hit college. My son will have to do the same - we're not a rich family. He makes great grades, but scholarships might not cover everything.

[rainbow4321]

55. We have several male carhops at our Sonic

So it may just be that where there are no male carhops it may just be that there have been no male applicants?
Cinemark movie theaters is also great with the kids...very flexible hours, they hire at 15, frequent raises, reward programs for top seller at concession (my one daughter has 2 free dinner passes now for Spaghetti Warehouse, actually, from them for selling the most large drinks), and they let the kids 16 and older work double shifts if it's busy enough. And they are known to hire extra people for the holiday season and summer time (times of the year when blockbusters are released = larger crowds = more workers needed). Workers get into movies free, they can bring a friend in for free once a week and their immediate family gets in free all the time as long as the worker is with them.
I almost have to go SEE a movie to SEE my daughter these days cuz she is there so much.
I really would recommend parents suggest Cinemark to their kids looking for a job---maybe other movie chains, too, but we only have experience with the one she works at.

[tammywammy]

33. I'm not sure where in Texas your at

But are you near any Six Flags amusement parks? I worked there when I was a teenager and it was a good job. Paid okay.

[pitohui]

34. there is a labor shortage in my area, every teen who wants one has choice of jobs

it may be a local issue but there is a labor shortage in the hurricane affected regions which means teen workers are earning more than they ever had the opportunity to earn before

no idea about teen employment rates elsewhere

in my area i would be looking hard at the teen and assuming the kid is fibbing about the job apps, either that or can't pass a drug screen

but of course job/employment opportunities can be local and in some areas why hire a legal worker when an "undocumented" worker will do the job for less than minimum wage

seriously, if you have someone the kid can stay w. in the gulf coast region, the kid could be working almost immediately and pulling down good money around here

[ellisonz]

35. Bush's economy. Don't blame your son.

Why teens have a tough time finding summer work
Many are enrolling in summer classes or doing community service while others are squeezed out by adults competing for the same entry-level jobs.
By Mark Trumbull | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

Page 1 of 4

Boston - This summer is shaping up as a tough one for many of America's youngest job seekers.

Camps still need counselors. Ice cream shops still need young arms with a knack for alternating between a scoop and a cash register. And the nation's job market is strong.

Yet teen employment rates haven't rebounded from the recession of 2001. Instead, these numbers are at historic lows.

The reasons include positive forces, such as the rise of new opportunities for summer education and community service. But the trend also reflects more competition from older workers for a shrinking pool of entry-level jobs.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0612/p01s03-usec.html

[ikojo]

39. I live in St Louis and there are a lot of help

wanted signs at restaurants in affluent west county. Trouble is the kids in west county don't *need* to work and public transit out there is not very regular.

[mnhtnbb]

43. Triangle area of NC--I see ads posted in windows Help wanted

for fast food, grocery, restaurant. I know one woman with 19 yo old son(finished
one year college) who got part-time job at a theater complex after 10 days
looking, mid-May. He was satisfied with part-time for the summer.

[senseandsensibility]

44. I had a similar experience looking for fast food jobs

in the eighties as a young person. I could never get one. Never. I eventually stopped applying for those and got other entry-level jobs, such as a ticket taker at the race track (that was actually a TEAMSTER job and paid over fourteen dollars an hour in 1984!) and day care worker, tutor, etc. I never found out why I was never hired or even interviewed for the fast food jobs. I guess I just didn't look like the right type?:crazy: It's possible that I appeared too prissy or studious or something, but that didn't stop the teamsters from hiring me! Anyway, good luck to your kids, and tell them to look into jobs in different industries.

[WindRavenX]

48. hell, i just graduated from a top college w/ a science degree and cant find shit

Great economy my left ass check :grr:

[seemunkee]

49. Fast food places around here require 3-4 interviews

My daughter was interviewed 3 times for Caribou Coffee and never got called back. At another fast food place she had 4 interviews before they hired her.

[Kali]

50. well sort of

an Aunty was visiting yesterday and she was asking the kids what they were doing for the summer. One of them answered "I was hoping to get a job".:crazy:

Mom had to bite tongue on "well it would help if you would go fill out some applications!" If wishes were employed teenagers...:rofl:

Sorry I know you were being serious, but this kid can either drive you insane or crack you up - I try to stay with the crack up....

[dropkickpa]

51. I had a hellish time in the mid 90's

getting a job (during my HS years). I ended up taking a night shift job at a donut shop (11pm-7am) that was dangerous and low paying. After that I did get a job at a grocery store as a cashier. Most of the jobs I worked between the ages of 14-18 were under the table other than those two.

Look over your sons applications. I worked in management at a video store chain and I have to tell you, even with our automated app process, the apps were usually abyssmal. Handwriting and spelling are considerations, if his aren't great, tell him to bring the app home and work on it. One thing that was a big "no" signal was hours available (some of what kids put down was just laughable). Your son's best best is to put available for all shifts, especially friday and saturday nights for businesses that are busy then, because anything less is often too much of a pain to work around. He needs to be willing to work for minimum wage. If he participates in ANYTHING in school, include it, no matter how much it seems like it won't matter.

[MadHound]

56. A lot of the normal jobs that teens used to get are now going elsewhere

Teens are feeling the squeeze because the jobs that they normally did are now being snapped up by adults who have seen their careers outsourced, downsized or disappeared. Thus they're moving into retail, fastfood and other such service jobs. Other summer jobs such as construction and lawncare are being snapped up by either pros or immigrants populations who work for less money.

Thus teens are being squeezed out of a lot of positions.

[LizW]

63. Yes, teens used to get jobs because they are cheaper

I know of businesses that used to hire teens in the summer because they are cheap and don't need any benefits (usually on their parents' insurance, etc.). But teens are teens. They are not going to stay, they are going back to school. They have family vacations and want time off. They want to socialize. All employers know these things, but it was worth it when teens were the only source of cheap labor.

Now there are sources of adult cheap labor. Adults who are at the bottom of the cheap labor supply are more desperate and do not offer the drawbacks of teens. They will not ask for benefits, time off, and they will work the worst shifts.

[riderinthestorm]

58. I'm not surprised

I own a farm in the western suburbs of Chicago - suburbia is less than a 1/4 of a mile away (ie. kids could bike to the farm to work) and I cannot find decent teen help.

The work isn't taxing but it IS work: painting, fence repair, chores, scrubbing troughs, gardening, mowing, putting up hay, grooming horses, cleaning tack etc. I start at $7.50/hour (and I can hire as early as 14 years old since it's agriculture which means I am paying way more than a 14 year old can make babysitting), which seems reasonable but the kids just weren't motivated. They wanted weekends off, no early mornings or late Friday nights. I am really flexible with my staff - employees can bring their younger siblings/children with them (I am a VERY kid friendly barn), there is no dress code, if they needed to work 6 am - noon instead of 7 - 1 that was fine since scubbing a trough can just as easily be done before starting to feed rather than afterwards, breaks are frequent and bottles of water and gatorade are always stocked as well as coffee and tea etc. etc. etc. What I got though were kids with very little initiative, drive or energy - I usually had to work right with them or they would just sit and gossip, even as it is most of them were slooooowwww. What used to aggravate me to no end were the ones who would call an hour before their shift was supposed to start and say they couldn't work (they were "sick" :eyes: ). Getting anyone to give me a week's notice for a day off or a vacation (that was my policy) was impossible. I tried for a couple of decades to give them a chance and finally have given up. It's the rare American teenager who will get a job from me now.

I know MANY people in the ag industry around me who feel the same way. Many of them used to hire kids to de-tassle or put up hay or help groom at competitions or help with market gardening or do the thousands of extra tasks that need doing in the ag industry over the summer but we've all pretty much given up on hiring them.

I've had my "regular" staff of 10 people for many years now plus I have two teenagers who have worked part-time for me for more than 4 years, and out of those two teens, one of them is a worker and the other is a slacker. They are leaving for college at the end of the summer and I will bet big money that I won't be replacing them with teens.

[Nikia]

59. Is he applying to seasonal jobs?

In Wisconsin since there is a definite change in the weather, there are seasonal jobs at summer attractions, hotels, certain restaurants, landscaping, construction, and agriculture.
I don't know if there are many jobs like that in Texas.
When the economy is or has been bad, I think that businesses who do not have a significant change in seasonal business are less likely to hire seasonal help, especially minors who have restrictions on their employment.
If there are any businesses that due increase their business during the summer, he should apply to those jobs. He might also want to try a temp agency, although his age and the fact that he is not a high school graduate yet might also play against him.

[lonestarnot]

61. I think

maybe he should have applied before school was out? :shrug: early bird gets the worm.

[area51]

62. I think just about everyone is having trouble getting a job ...

... in Bush's economy. The republican media won't talk about it, but we never left the recession of '01. The surest measurement of an economy is the number of jobs, are they perm or temp/contract, how well do they pay, & are their any bennies.

[rainbow4321]

72. Even the one's that HAVE a job are getting screwed

I work at a hospital and have talked to some of the other dept. workers..specifically, from the kitchen. One of the long time workers
told me that he and the other workers who have been there forever, who have kept the place running thru thick and thin, are having their hours cut in favor of the newer, cheaper paid workers. Some are are going to have to look elsewhere if this keeps up. They aren't "firing" any of the higher paid, just making it to where they will quit on their own.

[Deja Q]

64. Dang. In my time (1990), I had a similar problem.

I felt lucky to get the burger slop job. One I had for 30 months. :scared:

A pity intelligent adults are left to do burger flipping and such, though when I go to retail stores most of them are young, firm teens or 20-somethings who think there is a future. (Sadly, the ones I used to know before their retail stores closed always thought I looked 10 years younger than what I really am...)

We're all living on borrowed time. Such a concept was deemed sarcasm some 13 years ago by thosei n the media industry (aka singers). Somehow they were being prophetic.

[aikoaiko]

66. I don't know how old your son is but if he wants reliable good summer work

and he is old enough to drive, then pay for one summer's training as an AC technician.

He'll be able to pay you back and still be well paid every summer.

[watercolors]

67. Must be your area

I have 5 grandhildren , two 16 and three 18, all are working. Cashiers, short order cook, landscaping helper, and helper to sprinkler service, central Fl. Three of them have held part-time jobs thru school, tends to build character. I hope yours is successful soon. In fact all have their own trucks or cars that they have helped pay for. As one grandson complained, all I do is work and pay out money! He gets it!

[rainbow4321]

71. It's funny how once they start earning their own paycheck

and paying bills that little things like, oh, the thermostat, gets their attention. My older one is off living on her own now in college, working full time, living in a rent house. I noticed when I was down there she decided to keep the a/c off and the ceiling fan on. Not terribly hot, just warmer than what I was used to. When she came back home for a few days I panicked, coming home to a house a little warmer than what I keep it..looked at the thermostat, it was reading a few degrees warmer, I thought "oh shit" my ac is breaking down. Then I looked at the setting. Apparently, SHE was setting it higher while here, guess she was too chilly after living in a less ac'd house.

[Darth_Kitten]

68. Has he called back any of these places?

Just putting in an application is not going to give anyone an edge.

[Rosemary2205]

69. We've had to stop hiring teenagers.

I'm a middle manager in HR of a multi-state company. We used to hire 3 or 4 strong teenage boys every year in the summer for each of the warehouses to help with things like inventory, clean up etc that has to be done once a year. Our warehouse managers finally decided individually that they do not want temporary teenagers anymore and that we just needed to hire an extra full timer or two. The reasons they requested this change in hiring policy really centered around the general low quality of the teenage work force - details which mirror the comments already made upthread.

[robcon]

74. The market is fine in charleston.

My daughter has two 'permanent jobs' and one temp (for a local festival) this summer. The teenage job market seems fine there.

[Breeze54]

75. I think teens have to get a job WAY before school gets out!

As soon as my son qualified for working papers, I literally took him by the hand to the local grocery
store and made him fill out an application. He was almost fifteen, at the time. He's been working at
the same place now, for the last four years and they just offered him a full time position with benefits.
I did it because I also couldn't afford shelling out anymore $$ for games and movie rentals but also
because jobs were scarce and teens were having a tough time then, finding summer work. He works
all year round. Mostly 10 to 15 hours a week and more hours during the holidays. He still had time
to hang with his friends and do homework, etc. Now that he's graduated, they've increased his hours.
He'll be going full-time soon. I'm letting him take a breather, as he just graduated and he'll be looking
for full-time in his trade soon but he'll have this job until he finds one in his trade.
I've seen a lot of signs in windows, around here, looking for help. But I'm in MA.

Good Luck to him!! I hope he finds something soon!!! Have you tried your State Employment Office?