Rosy Outlook for Teen Employment

The teen employment outlook this summer is rosy. School is almost out and teens will soon be looking for summer jobs. However, some local businesses and cities are having a hard time filling seasonal positions.

The unemployment rate for teens dropped to 7.7 percent in March. Employers may find it tough to attract teenagers to fill summer positions. “We still have positions open for life guards, swim instructors, our crossing guards, and our cashiers in the buildings as well,“ says Crystal Parks and Recreation Director John Elholm.

Officials with the Department of Employment and Economic Development say 16 to 19 year-olds looking for work in Minnesota is down by almost 6,000. But experts say although the population is small, teens are coming back into the labor force.

“People with skills are able to move into higher wage jobs, so that’s leaving a lot of the lower wage jobs open,  employers I think now are hoping to fill with teens,” said Labor market information office assistant director Oriane Casale. “That’s just leaving more, probably more, vacancies than they are teens to fill them.”

Crystal seeking seasonal teen employment

The Crystal Park and Recreation department is on the hunt to fill summer positions. They hire about 60 people to work at the Crystal Cove during the summer. Hiring Managers are looking for people who are service oriented and friendly.

Managers say they would have normally filled most of those positions already, but that’s not the case this year.

“We hire a lot of seasonal staff during the summer time,” says Elholm. “It seems this year has been a little bit slower, than most years have been.”

People who are interested in jobs with the Crystal Park and Recreation Department should check out their website. Meanwhile, some experts say if teens get multiple job offers, they might consider asking employers if there is flexibility in the hourly wage.