The 2022 summer job outlook for American teens published by the Drexel University Center for Labor Markets and Policy last month explained that despite the rapid pace of job creation, there were 1.19 million fewer jobs in April 2022 than in February of 2020, a month before the outbreak of COVID-19.
"However, given the unprecedented labor shortage experienced across the U.S., particularly in industries where teens typically work, teens have a higher probability of being hired by employers," the researchers wrote. They predicted that the summer job market for teens this year will be strong, with an employment rate for 16- to 19-year-olds to be 32.8 percent, the highest since 2007.
"Employers suddenly rediscovered teenagers," Alicia Sasser Modestino, a labor economist at Northeastern University, told The New York Times. She explained that while young people from low-income families might have a harder time finding summer work due to there being fewer opportunities where they live, summer youth employment programs can help.
She stressed that teenagers and students should be opportunistic and look for a job that fits their needs by asking for a higher wage, a better schedule, or negotiating their responsibilities. "This summer, you have an opportunity to be choosy," Ms. Modestino said.
