Dismal outlook for teen summer jobs throughout the suburbs

High school and college students who have not yet landed a summer job may find themselves low on cash and out of luck.

Many suburban businesses and career counselors say if teenagers have not yet found employment for the summer, it might just be too late.

"I wouldn't say it's impossible to find a job at this point, but it doesn't look good," said Kathleen Canfield, director of the career center at Harper College in Palatine. "Anyone who had summer openings most likely filled them by March."

The summer job drought will make it challenging for the teens coming home from college now planning to start their search for work.

Many suburban retailers say they hired their summer help months ago.

"The smart kids are the ones who come out looking for a job in April," said Randy Horn, owner of Learning Express toy store in Glen Ellyn.

Adult workers and the economy are thinning the summer job market again this season, making it frustrating for students.

"It's a tough market for teenagers," Horn said.

High school student Sydney Miranda couldn't find a job last summer, so she hit the ground running early this year. Miranda, a junior at Lake Zurich High School, started more than five months ago and has filled out dozens of applications.

"It's really difficult. I got really discouraged," she said. "Everyone in Lake Zurich is looking for a job."

Determination paid off, and Miranda recently was hired at Clay Monet, a paint your own pottery studio in Lake County.

The numbers only tell part of the story since so many younger job seekers have given up and are no longer counted as unemployed.

Unemployment among 16- to 24-year-olds is at about 20 percent heading into summer. That's almost doubled from 2007, the last summer before the recession, when it hovered around 10 percent, according to employment reports.

When teens fill out job applications, they are not only competing with adult workers, but also more teens than ever before.

Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, which hires more than 3,200 seasonal employees every year, reports that it has seen about 22 percent more applications over last year.

The Mundelein Park District also is seeing a surge of applicants looking for work at its beach, pool and summer camp programs.

There are no longer positions available at suburban pools. "We finished all our hiring in early April," said Mundelein Parks Director Margaret Resnick.

As college kids return home from college, the Mundelein parks staff continues to field countless calls from teenagers looking for work. "We've had more applications than in the past and we saw them coming in earlier," Resnick added.

Suburban mom Ann Kendzior was ahead of the game and prepared her son about the tough job market. She told her 16-year-old son, Matt, that if was going to find a job, he would have to start his search early. Matt, who also runs his own lawn cutting service, started filling out online applications in December and attending job fairs in early spring. He now is employed at Great America.

Many of his friends are not as lucky and still are looking for work, she says.

Career counselors worry about the long-term effects the high unemployment rate may have on teens as they are not learning the responsibilities of holding a job. The experience gained through summer jobs is valuable, said Canfield of Harper. "Honing your professional and interpersonal skills is important," she said.

The lack of jobs teens have now will make a difference down the road, Canfield said. "We'll have to work harder with students so they're prepared for their first job."