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SALT LAKE CITY -- Teenagers are having a difficult time finding summer jobs, particularly in Utah.
First quarter numbers from the Department of Workforce Services show the unemployment rate for 16- to 19-year-olds is 26.2 percent. Nationwide, the latest statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show a 24.7 percent teen unemployment rate.
2009 -- 21%
Many high school students and young college students from coast to coast are struggling. One college student, Scarlett Harris, said, "It's come to the point where I've even applied to housekeeping positions because I'm so desperate for a job."
The experts say the teens are simply overmatched. Mark Knold, an economist with Workforce Services in Utah, told the Deseret News teens "don't have many skills to offer." Plus, many older workers who are more highly-qualified are applying for entry level jobs.
Vanishing federal stimulus funds across the country means cities are slashing their summer job programs. There are 36 percent fewer slots than last year in New York, 76 percent fewer in Dallas, and 85 percent fewer in Los Angeles.
The numbers reflect a large change for teenagers over the past four years. In 2007 the teen unemployment rate stood at just 10.8 percent.
