Are Summer Jobs a Thing of The Past?

We all know how tough the current job market has been, and looks to continue being for some time, but one of the side effects that doesn't get nearly enough attention is the problems facing teenagers. With another summer over, more and more teens have been unable to find summer jobs. The jobless rate among teenagers is at its highest level since the government began keeping statistics in 1948. According to reports, over 26.1% of teens are officially considered unemployed (which means that they are out there looking for work, but unable to find it). This excludes teens who are not opting for a summer job and instead working on studies or other pastimes.

So what does that mean for the rest of us? Who cares if teens don't have spending money? Sadly, the answer is that it means a lot more than just teenagers without money to buy CDs and clothes.

In fact, according to The Nation-

the job plight of today’s young workers is a broken escalator. Instead of young people getting on at the bottom and smoothly traveling to the top throughout their careers, workers already near the top are losing jobs and going backwards, nudging out young people trying to climb on. Older workers who can’t afford to retire aren’t stepping off the escalator to make room for a new generation. And with jobs still disappearing, the escalator has all but stalled.

That’s what we see in the teen jobless rate. Teenagers are competing with jobless adults for low-end, entry-level positions. This is especially true where state and local budget crises have destroyed summer jobs programs for teens.

The sad thing is that it isn't just spending money that they are losing. Summer jobs are what teenagers do to save money for college tuition. I can remember working fast food for two summers and saving almost all of my money for college. Now, our children are heading off to college with no savings, rising tuition rates, financial aid benefits slashed and textbooks costing more and more knowing that when they get their degree, they still might not be able to find a job.

And what's worse is that this generation of kids are heading into adulthood without having had the chance to find out what it means to be an employee. Starting out in entry level fields as a teen gives you job experience to help you find a better job while you are in college and help prepare you for the career you are studying for.

My fear is that these teens are losing the chance to experience the American Dream, to have goals and think that there is nothing stopping them from being whoever they want. How do we teach them that hard work and determination are all you need to have a successful life? Are our teens growing into adulthood without the skills to compete in the job force?

I don't know the answers, but I think that it is a problem that deserves attention. What do you think? Do you think that summer jobs for teenagers are a crucial step in their journey to adulthood?

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.