Teens seeking work face fierce competition

And plenty of teens want to work, said Renee Ward, founder of Teens4Hire.org, a Web site that matches young job-seekers with employers looking to hire them.  She said 80 percent of kids 14 and 15 years old express a desire to work, although many employers are leery of hiring children that young because of laws that restrict their hours and what they can do. Sum estimated there are some 3.5 million older teens — or 20 percent of the total — who want to work or want to work more than they do.

In addition to the increased competition for jobs, there are other reasons teens are working less than they used to. Challenger points out that nearly 38 percent of older teens were attending school last summer, compared with only 19 percent a decade earlier. Summer-school students are less likely to seek employment than teens who are free for the summer.

One myth that several experts sought to dispel is that teens are not seeking work because they don’t need money in an increasingly affluent society. In fact, teens from affluent families are far more likely to find work than children from poor families who lack the ready network of families and friends with good job connections.

Nearly 50 percent of teens from households with income over $100,000 worked last summer, compared with only 38 percent from lower-income households making $20,000 to $40,000, according to the Center for Labor Market Studies. The odds also are stacked against minority teen workers.

The outlook for teen employment also varies widely by region. In California, for example, only 31 percent of teens worked last summer, compared with more than 70 percent in Nebraska and South Dakota.

While work is an excellent way for teens to learn new skills and stay motivated to continue their education, hiring young people also has surprising benefits for companies.

Steve Pogorzelski, president of Monster North America, points out that teens are a major consumer group for many companies, so hiring teens can help build consumer loyalty.

“I think savvy employers realize there are certain benefits to hiring teens and establishing a steady pipeline of teen workers, especially during he summer months,” he said. “Each job applicant is a potential consumer, so companies have the opportunity to leave a positive impression.”

For teens seeking work, Pogorzelski advises doing the same thing any experienced worker would: Research, network and market.

“Think of yourself as your own personal brand with unique attributes and skills, and be prepared to articulate that,” he said.

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