Summer Job Market Tougher for Local Teens

Leaving the halls of Westfield High School in June, Rachel Baron started hunting for a job in order to save up money for college and provide something to do during the summer hours.

Applying to various local employers including Moto Photo, Rockn' Joes, Ahrre's Coffee Roastry and the Westfield Recreation Department, Baron found her summer time spent with the recreation agency, working as a camp counselor and manning the snack stand at Memorial Pool. Baron ranks her situation as less than ideal, a common theme heard from Westfield teens about their employment situation as the summer of 2010 draws to a close, a summer marked by the continuation of the worst recession since the Great Depression.

"It's a bad situation because although the counselor job is everyday and dependable, it pays way below minimum wage and interferes with the set hours at the pool. As a result, I rarely work at the pool which pays much better and includes tips," said Baron.

Baron also added that she is still waiting for offers at other places where she applied.

However, because most jobs available for teens  pay around the $7.25 per hour, the national minimum wage and the unemployment rate for people between the ages 16 and 19 has reached 29-percent according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, Baron's working situation was better than most people her age.

"I know that I've gotten jobs that other students haven't because I've been working since ninth grade and have a lot more references and experiences to list on applications," said Baron.

Occasionally connections to downtown businesses paid off for teens seeking summertime employment.

Westfield High School student Emma Foley who is currently working at Baron's Drug Store at the cash register, in the cosmetics section, and at the pharmacy said "I was definitely very fortunate in being hired. There are lots of teens who are unable to find jobs, and I am grateful to have one."

Foley also added that she had an advantage when she applied to work at Baron's Drug Store because her older siblings had worked there before and the manager knew that she came from a family of hard workers.

According to Gregory Gwyn-Williams, the owner of Baron's Drug Store, many of the larger chain pharmacies that offer mail order prescriptions have made it difficult for a neighborhood pharmacy. However, he added that he still employs about 20 teens part-time during the summer.

"I do need [teens] to provide the service that I want to provide…I like to hire sophomores because I know that I've got them for two years," said Gwyn-Williams.

He added that he believes that the service at Baron's Drug Store is what keeps customers coming to the store.

While many of the businesses in downtown Westfield employed teens, the amount of teens that were employed was limited in many cases. According to Town Book Store owner Anne Laird, about one teen is hired during his or her sophomore or junior year of high school, and continues to work until graduation.

"The bookstore has so many details that need to be learned that I do not hire seasonally because there is so much training involved," Laird said. "Summer is slower in Westfield so there is no need for extra help."