When driving the streets of Elkhorn it seems that nearly every fast-food restaurant, retail store and other business is hiring, yet at the same time, none are. USA Today states that “16- to 19-year-olds working or looking for jobs fell to 35.4%,” a drop from the 37.4% of previous year.
When taking an initial glance at these job opportunities, it appears that there are a multitude of them, but for teens, finding work has become a challenge. Even with relentless job applications, flexible scheduling, and any bit of job experience, local teenagers struggle to find basic employment positions in a town that grows by daily.
For a lot of high school students, having a job goes beyond the need for extra spending money. Many work to pay for gas, car insurance, extracurricular activities, college savings, and basic needs.
In addition to this, jobs provide unique experiences and opportunities that can be used in furthering a career or in an application for a scholarship. Working offers life skills such as time management, responsibility, communication, and teamwork; many of which are not fully developed in the classroom. However it is growing increasingly common to hear that a job has turned down a teen applicant, or didn’t respond entirely.
“There was never communication hearing back to me that the position was filled or if I got denied,” senior Alex Aliano said.
One big obstacle that likely affects teen ability to find employment is the issue of scheduling. Many jobs prefer applicants that can work entire days or mornings, which, for a student, is not possible due to the first seven hours of their days being spent in the classroom. Even students who are willing to work nights and weekends are still at a disadvantage to older applicants.
Competition in the workforce has also increased. A multitude of jobs that would hire teens are instead hiring college students, adults looking for a second employment opportunity, and those who have left other industries. These older candidates are more likely to have increased availability, and a longer history of employment, making them more desirable to an employer.
An additional challenge is the requirement of experience. It’s common for a business to ask for previous work experience in nearly every position, despite applying for a position that would require little to none. This creates the cycle of needing work experience but not being able to get hired to acquire any.
When looking for jobs on websites like “Indeed” many of the job listings, despite the search filter, require avid experience and a certain age. This shifts the job hunt to requiring students to actually find these opportunities in person.
“There are so many places but none of them will actually hire,” junior Keira Hecht said.
Transportation for many students inhibits their ability to find work as well. In the increasingly growing community of Elkhorn, job opportunities lay outside the reach of students who do not have regular or reliable access to transportation. This narrows the job search significantly for a majority of younger students and students without vehicles.
Teachers see the impact of these employment challenges on students, often hearing about stress around money, especially on the subject of driving, activities, and college plans.
“They judge you in the first 10 seconds of meeting you,” science teacher Dan Dischler said. “There is competition for the people who are working there and aren’t in high school.”
The struggle for work doesn’t just affect students monetarily, it also takes an emotional toll. Being denied a job opportunity is not only discouraging, but can give students the false impression that they are not qualified for certain positions. Some students become entirely discouraged from the work force when the effort to find a job does not outweigh the possible disappointment.
Many teens are forced into informal jobs like babysitting, lawn care, snow removal, and dog sitting. Others turn to social media and friends, asking around for job opportunities. These alternatives may be beneficial, but do not provide consistency, structure, or benefits that a typical job would provide.
Hiring teenagers helps businesses build a reliable workforce and prepares students for future employment opportunities, benefiting nearly everyone. When students are provided these opportunities, they are more likely to develop long-term skills that will further their careers and develop powerful work ethics.
As Elkhorn continues to grow, job opportunities are created every day. Students only hope that these businesses will extend these opportunities to them as well. For a lot of students, a job is a necessity.
“My advice would be to apply to many different places at one time,” Aliano said. “Don’t wait for one of them to contact you.”
While “Help Wanted” signs appear on the doors of many businesses, the process of employment for teens is nowhere near easy. Students are still faced with the harsh realities that job opportunities are not in their favor.
