Summer Job Market is Getting Harder for Highschoolers

A topic of conversation between my classmates and me as the summer months approach is “Have you found something to do this summer?” The challenge of finding a summer job is an issue that is arising around the country for high school students. This May, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for teenagers rose to 13.4% from 12.4% earlier in the year. The rise of self-automated jobs, such as self-

checkout and virtual phone assistance, has caused jobs that teenagers historically relied on to rapidly disappear. This rise could be blamed on the COVID pandemic that happened in 2020. The pandemic triggered a massive wave of at-home jobs and remote working, which eliminated many hospitality jobs that teenagers often filled.

My friend Abigail Queenan, from Beverly, Massachusetts, spoke to me about how she found the job market very difficult. When speaking to her about this topic, she responded,  “I applied to several jobs who never even got back to me.” Queenan is a senior in high school, and now works at a local Acai bowl shop during  the summer for the past few years. She shares her frustrations with her job when they prioritized new college students over her for shifts. Queenan laments, “The job I worked at for a year would give the college students shifts before I would get any shifts. When I tried to find another job no one would hire me because there were no shifts available there either.”  My friend’s experience is the experience of many high school students who are not being hired or selected in the job market.

In May of 2017, roughly a decade ago, the job market participation rate for teenagers was 56.9% as opposed to 35.7% in March of 2026. This statistic implies that fewer teenagers are working today compared to 10 years ago. For the same period, the teenage population in the United States was 25 million compared to today’s 43 million. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, part of this issue is just supply and demand. The youth population has grown exponentially causing there to be much more demand for jobs while the job market itself, particularly jobs suitable for teenagers, are shrinking.

This is a large problem because entry-level jobs are critical for the experience and development of young people. A person’s first job teaches responsibility, time management, and consideration for others. These skills help one push forth the best version of oneself. Entry level jobs are also necessary to the start of a career, acting as the stepping stone and providing potential important networking and recommendations necessary to approach the job market. This is why college graduates are competing with teenagers for these “entry level” summer jobs.

In conclusion, the issue does not lie in lack of effort from high school students. The employer is not to blame either, and essentially the result is from broader economic changes. The use of AI to fulfill tasks instead of workers has contributed to this global dilemma. As opportunities continue to decline, it becomes more important to find outlets for gaining work and life experiences. One possible solution would be to volunteer to gain valuable experience. For example, a local opportunity over the summer could be to volunteer for Meals on Wheels in Monterey.