James Beale, a senior at Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach, wants to buy a used car. He can't.
He wants to save up for college. Can't do that either.
James can't even buy the new "Iron Man" DVD. "I really want it," he said, "but I have 2 dollars right now."
The 16-year-old said he's applied for at least seven part-time jobs near his house - at places such as Dairy Queen and Pizza Hut - with no luck.
"I really put myself out there," James said. "I thought I would at least hear something, especially since these places said they'd be hiring. It's a little disheartening, going into October, and still without a job."
Not just adults bear the yoke of the sagging economy.
The teenage unemployment rate - the percentage of 16- to 19-year-olds looking for part- or full-time jobs who could not find one - rose to 19.1 percent in September from 18.9 percent in August, the federal government reported Friday. The nation's overall employment rate held steady, at less than one-third that level - 6.1 percent - the highest rate in five years.
Also last week, the Virginia Employment Commission said the jobless rate for Hampton Roads was 4.8 percent in August, up from 4.6 percent in July.
"We have less hours of work for part-timers," said Steve Ledoux, manager of Foot Locker in Greenbrier Mall. "It's so slow now, that you can't do any hiring."
Ledoux recently moved to Chesapeake from a store in Newport News. "Usually, I hired somebody during the summertime and somebody right now for fall, and I didn't need to," he said.
Ledoux said he has three student workers at Greenbrier. His computer lists many more as potential employees, "but I don't schedule any because I don't have the hours."
Four local restaurants, though, said they hadn't reduced employment of high school students. Spokeswomen for Food Lion, where Beale said he had applied, and Farm Fresh also said teen hiring was holding steady.
Calls to national or local representatives of Cold Stone Creamery, Dairy Queen and Pizza Hut were not returned last week.
Economists say it stands to reason that as the economy contracts, so do teenagers' employment options. That's been the case for Louis Fisher, a senior at Maury High in Norfolk.
Fisher said he's applied to about a dozen places since August, including Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Cold Stone and Moe's Southwest Grill.
"I haven't been able to get jobs anywhere, because they're laying off people," said Fisher, 18. "A few of them had signs up saying they're hiring, and when I went inside they said they should have taken them down because of the whole economy situation."
Fisher said he's out of money for gas. "I basically don't drive anywhere. My car is sitting in the driveway, and I'm riding the buses or hitchhiking with people. It takes away your sense of freedom."
That might seem trifling compared with the adult miseries of losing full-time jobs - or thousands of dollars in investments. But Fisher and others say the consequences for teenagers are significant.
Fisher fears a Catch-22: "You get discriminated against if you lack working experience. But if they don't hire us, there's no way for us to obtain the working experience."
Tim Miller, a spokesman for the Employment Policies Institute, a nonprofit research group in Washington, said: "A part-time job for a teenager is much more important oftentimes than the paycheck that they bring home. It's a chance to gain skills and experience. When you deprive teens of that, it can have a negative effect once they enter the work force as a full-time employee."
David Garraty, an economist at Virginia Wesleyan College, said the teenagers' job troubles might carry benefits, however. "It's an opportunity to invest in themselves by hitting the books a little more," he said.
The federal government does not break down the teenage unemployment rate by state. But the Employment Policies Institute, using other government data, estimates the teen jobless rate in Virginia from January to August averaged 14.7 percent - a 29 percent increase from the 11.4 percent rate for the same period last year.
"Oil prices are rising, food prices are rising," Miller said, "and you have to pay higher minimum wages, all at the same time that demand for your product is falling. It's inevitable that teenagers drop out of the market. It's always the least skilled that get squeezed out first."
The institute opposes increases in the minimum wage, which went from $5.15 to $5.85 an hour in July 2007, then to $6.55 this July. "When you are raising mandated wages in a bad economy, all that does is exacerbate the problem," Miller said.
William Mezger, an economist for the Virginia Employment Commission, doubted the minimum wage increases had much effect on the local teen employment rate. "Hampton Roads is pretty much above the minimum wage anyway," he said. "The main place you find the minimum wage is in rural areas and the some places in the western part of the state."
Not all teens are struggling to find work.
"With the flight of college students, I personally know three or four teenagers who just got jobs," said Ann Laurence Baumer, 16, a junior at Cox High in Virginia Beach, who works at the Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay retirement community.
"I can tell you that we are actively recruiting teenagers," said Lisa Shepherd, who works in recruitment at Westminster-Canterbury. "Even if our numbers are down right now, it's only because we can't get them in fast enough."
For James Beale, though, the lack of work has been frustrating.
"On job applications, when they ask for personal thoughts, I always say: I want to get the job done," he said. "I'm a hard worker."
The most embarrassing side-effect of having no car: James thinks he might be the only senior riding his school bus.
"Once somebody asked me, 'Can seniors ride the bus?' I said, 'Oh my God. That's ridiculous.' "
Philip Walzer, (757) 222-3864, phil.walzer@pilotonline.com
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Okay. all these bitter
Okay. all these bitter people below me who havent had a part time job since the 50's need to direct thier bitterness to themselves.i understand where all of you are coming from, yet in all of your wisdom, you are not doing any justice by saying what you are saying. it is a right to work and you should be glad that teens these days want to work, yes, there are those few that are lazy and dumb, but the average teen will work. the little part-time jobs that kids want are what builds this economy. so if you have BIGGER problems, since our problem is such a trifle, howzabout all the teens quit and let you handle your problem. let all the adults take the part time jobs and build this country. well see who hands you your starbucks coffee on that early staurday morning then.
Sorry kid
Sorry kid...it's not the economy. The unemployment rates in this area are well into the full employment zone. The problem is people don't want to take the jobs that are dirty or have a lot of physical work involved.
winslaid...
Winslaid - an American teenager is less likely to be willing to work without pay for a few extra hours a day. An American teenager is more likely to notice and tell their parents about getting paid under the table. The thing that would make foreign labor more attractive than local labor is if you somehow get a benefit (money) by using it. More profit for the business owner.
I don't get it
Employers are looking overseas for workers because no one here will do the work. How is it that these kids can't find jobs? I know that the unemployment rate is up and the economy is bad but I can't help but think that it's all in how these kids are presenting themselves, how they are dressed, and as another poster said, what they are putting in the application. Also, too picky maybe?
As for the catch-22...(I know, been there, done that when I was a teenager)sometimes volunteer work will pay off. If you are really serious about working, use your head and resources and show those employers what you have!!
Good luck
in your job search; you certainly seem like you deserve it as do other teens. Not just for the $$ but the experience AND because it is no parents JOB to have saved for college for their offspring. Those parents that can, GREAT. The ones that did, even better! however, its not their job~its their choice
The trouble with teens!!
Now before anyone say a word please read my whole comment. I have two full time jobs to support myself. One of them is with Farm Fresh. I get to see some of our youth complan about thier small checks that they get each week. When I ask them to work a couple of extra hours I get the " Oh now I have things to do" or "you do not pay me what I went to stay extra".
I work an average of 55 hours a week doing what I do at the night job. I would be happy to let a teenager have some of that time but they do not want it. As for nobody hiring that is a crock.
Sorry Teens
So sorry for the teens who live at home rent free and utility bill free, go to school and so on. I am a single mom who HAS to work 40+ hours a week and two jobs just to survive. (and yes I have a college degree) If Pizza Hut hires an adult over a teen it is because we have to support our kids and families. So sorry riding the bus is a problem think about the adults who don't have a car or a home at this point in our terrible economy! I just can't feel sorry for a kid who will probally not even stay at a job more than 6 months. If their biggest problem is having to borrow mom and dads car and not have the iron man dvd then count yourself blessed!
marye...............
Wow! It's called more taxes in order to pay, that's how socialism works.
Look at the socialist fiasco's of Europe and the unemployment rates. It is very hard for a business to fill lower positions when the deciding factor for future employee's is the difference between said taxed pay check and what the system will give them to stay home.
Civilian National Security Force?
Aren't they going to go door to door to make sure heatlthcare is provided to youngsters and had out fines accordingly?
I thought so.
You're breaking my heart!
Well youngn's, welcome to the new economy-kill or be killed. "Discrimination"? Oh, please! In order to discriminate against someone, you must have a right to something denied by another and unfortunatly, you don't have a "right" to a job nor is any employer required to hire you if they feel that there is a better candidate. Can't drive your car to school? Too bad. The taxpayers who are required to pay taxes (regardless if we have a job or not) to keep those school busses rolling provide that service for you, save the gas money and use them. Just because you're a senior doesn't mean you have a "right" to drive to school, you just can't afford that choice right now. Your freedom isn't being restricted, but economic reality is limiting the choices to which you can avail yourself.
I'm sure that our youth think that their world is coming to an end because you can't afford this or that, just wait a few years until you get a job you have to pay a mortgage-then talk to me about choices.
I assure you, things will only get tougher.
Civilian National Security Force?
sounds like the youth parties in Nazi Germany, China, and the old USSR. This just makes my skin crawl....isn't that why we have National Guard?
7 jobs
Hmmm...on a recent trip to Landstown Commons shoppping center I counted at least 7 help wanted signs....
teenage jobs
The jobs are out there, my 15 year old was offered a job (and took it by the way) when he wasn't even looking for one because a business owner noticed he was hard working and courteous and of course, he was in the right place at the right time. But, persistence does pays off, and once you get the job you need to WANT to work it, even if it's not glamorous or "fun", it's a job! I've heard other teens say they can't get hired but yet when you look at what they put on their application they're putting such limited availability hours it's not worth it for the employers. The best way to get hired is to have a lot of available times you can work, not just putting Saturday afternoon from 10-2. (I know a girl that did that and wonders WHY she can't find a job!)
These comments always kill
These comments always kill me. Hopefully you have good grades which will help you get into college. You can start at TCC and go beyond. Of course, it was your parents' job to help you save since obviously you can't work until you're 16 and those wages aren't going to pay for a college education. So, even if it seems like a slow start, do not give up. And for those of you who think a lot of places will hire teens, you're wrong. Some say they have to be 18 or 21 before they hire so him applying for "only" 7 is pretty good. You may want to start thinking about how to be your own boss vs. being an employee. All it takes is a good idea to make you self-sufficient. My daughter said "when I grow up, I want to work at Dairy Queen, it looks cool" and I tell her, 'yes, think of how you can own one'. Think positive and keep trying!
Vote Obama!
James, I'm sure you registered, so cast your vote for Obama! If he's elected, one of the things he wants to do is build a Civilian National Security Force! He wants this CNSF to have as many members as the US Military, and to be as well trained and equipped. So, he's going to need a lot of young people like you! I'm not sure how he's going to feed, house, outfit, train, or pay all of you, but I'm sure the rich people won't mind being more patriotic with their money to make this happen. Maybe Obama will trade you time spent standing watch outside the White House for college tuition. He hasn't given any specifics, so it's hard to say. Better jump on it, though, because in order to keep the US military manned up, he'll need to make service mandatory for those who don't join the CNSF. Of course, I'm assuming there will still be a US military. Anyway, vote Obama for real change in your job opportunities!
He applied for 7 jobs since January?
Seems like a slacker to me. There are a lot more than 7 potential jobs out there for teens.
The job market . . .
Does seem to lead to the employment of really helpful teens who are out there to do the customer service stuff! I haven't seen a teen engaged in conversation with another co-worker, ignoring the customer, all summer. The seriously motivated ones seem to be the first ones to get jobs and, hopefully, hold on to them in this economy. Cheers, MGM
hmmmm
You are a senior and you are just starting to save for college. Don't you thing your a little late?? The rise in Aug and Sept looks like it has a direct correlation with the min wage increase effective in July 2008. Ok Phil so the real story should been on the minimum wage increase...enough said.