Summer Jobs May Be Elusive For Teens This Year

As the school year ends and summer begins, it’s traditionally a time when teenagers get summer jobs. But there may be fewer Hoosier teens employed this summer due to the global pandemic.

While the national unemployment rate jumped last month, the unemployment rate for teenagers more than doubled to reach just shy of 32 percent. That’s largely because teens frequently take jobs in the hospitality and service industry – some of the industries hardest hit by COVID-19. 

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Erika Cheney is the director of in-school youth services for EmployIndy, Marion County’s workforce board. She says many parents, including herself, are hesitant to let their teenager work because they worry about their safety during the pandemic. 

“And the other issue is that a lot of the jobs that are happening with teenagers [are] working in the parks department, working at pools – things are that just unknowns right now,” she says. 

She adds that despite the concerns, she’s seen a spike in the number of users registered on EmployIndy’s online job portal for youth.

Contact Justin at jhicks@wvpe.org or follow him on Twitter at @Hicks_JustinM.