The New York Times, June 2025
Ugenie Labranche, 16, who has been searching for a summer job since January, thought her luck had finally turned when she spotted a “hiring now” sign outside a Dunkin’ in Jenkintown, Pa. But when she called this month, she was told the store wasn’t hiring. It has happened a few times. A sign in the window, hopeful calls, only to be told the position is no longer available. Ms. Labranche, who will be a junior in the fall, has applied to more than a dozen jobs but still hasn’t landed one. Most of the time, she doesn’t hear back at all. “It is frustrating because there are a lot of kids my age that want to work and they just can’t,” she said.
Teenagers across the country are entering one of the toughest summer job markets in recent years, as traditional jobs at restaurants, amusement parks, pools and stores either pause new hiring or choose adults for those roles. In May, the unemployment rate for teenagers rose to 13.4 percent, from 13 percent in April and 12.4 percent a year ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
