Employers ignore students for jobs
Senior Douglas Stewart cleans up the salad bar at Jason’s Deli, working his late night shift.
October 8, 2014
For students who don’t get an allowance from their parents, there is only one way to fill their wallet with cash: get a job.
In Austin, which is home to four universities, this can be a difficult challenge for high school students.
Many Austin teens are finding that job opportunities for high schoolers are few and far between. Many employers want someone they can rely on to always be on time, and doesn’t have to attend school eight hours of the day. For instance someone like a college student.
Senior Airelle Phillips had to apply at multiple places before she finally got a call back.
“It’s nearly impossible to get a job while you’re in high school especially if you haven’t had job experience before.”
That’s definitely something that employers tend to overlook. They don’t take into consideration that in order to have experience,
students have to start somewhere. Unfortunately that’s not the only bump in the road for adolescents.
“After I quit my first job, it was still hard to find somewhere,” senior Marcus Crow said. “Even if you have had experience, they still want someone with plenty of time on their hands.”
Austin has a high unemployment rate for 16-19 year olds who are not in school, according to a Brookings Institute study released earlier this year. Only about 25 percent of teens in this age group had jobs in 2012. Employers are likely to hire individuals with higher levels of education, and for adolescents that’s their predicament. They’re unable to get a greater education without having money to pay for it.
Teen and young adult employment declined from 44 percent to 24 percent in a matter of only ten years.
These individuals are at risk of poverty and the lack of young workers could negatively impact the Central Texas economy overall.
If it is hard for students who are not in school to get a job, it’s even harder for those who have limited availability because of a busy class and activity schedule.
Being in high school and unable to get a job can negatively affect students’ lives. It means not providing them with enough money for themselves and loved ones to spend on necessities and wants.
For some, moving out of parents houses won’t be an option until they hit their early 20s.
