Tough job market for teens

Tuesday, July 7, 2009, 10:08am EDT

Atlanta Business Chronicle

Companies are hiring more teens this summer, compared to a year ago, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.

But at the current pace, it would still be the second-worst job market for teens since the late 1950s, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Companies hired 111,000 teens in May, followed by 698,000 in June — or a total of 809,000 jobs this summer. That’s about 10,000 more than the first two months of summer 2008.
Last year, companies hired 1.17 million 16- to 19-year-olds, the lowest since 976,000 teens in 1954.

“While summer hiring among teens is by no means robust, it has been stronger than expected, particularly in light of this recession’s impact on retailers, restaurants, tourist destinations and other businesses that are typically the biggest recruiters of teenagers during the summer months,” said John Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
The company estimates more than 1 million teens will find work this summer.

“For those who are still wanting a summer job, it is not too late to find one,” he said. “Some retailers may add more workers for back-to-school sales. Other employers may need to replace workers who didn’t work out.”