In a recent interview conducted by Epoch Times, some teenagers expressed their struggles in finding jobs, with some saying they have been searching for over a year without success, while others have chosen to become their own bosses to earn money.
15-year-old Joslyne Baird has been looking for a job for over a year to help alleviate financial pressure at home. Since the age of 14, she has been applying for jobs like babysitting, lawn mowing, and cleaning positions at summer camps and grocery stores in her small town in Kentucky with a population of around 1,500 people, but unfortunately without success.
“I have applied for jobs like babysitting, lawn mowing, and cleaning. I am willing to do any job as long as it helps me earn money,” the teenager said.
Despite sending out numerous resumes, Baird has not received any responses from potential employers. This struggle she faces aligns with the trend of worsening job market for teenagers seeking summer employment that emerged in the United States since 2025.
Experts accurately predicted that last summer was the toughest on record and forecasted a worse summer this year. Some teenagers interviewed acknowledged that this prediction by experts reflects the reality they are experiencing.
Whether it’s being a server, packing groceries, or stocking shelves, summer jobs serve as a rite of passage for children transitioning into adulthood, as they aspire to take on more responsibilities, reduce parental oversight, and have their own pocket money. However, experts note that these roles traditionally held by teenagers are gradually disappearing.
Nevertheless, some teenagers have shared with the Epoch Times that there is another way to earn money, and that is to become their own bosses.
Baird, who comes from a family of 12 siblings, described herself as patient, caring, responsible, and mature, qualities that hiring managers typically seek in teenage employees.
“I have not received any responses yet. I really want a job because my family is in a difficult financial situation, and I really want to help alleviate the pressure at home,” Baird said.
Over the past year, she has applied for many jobs but with no success.
Due to complicated transportation arrangements for work, teenagers aged 13 to 15 have even more limited choices.
“Now that I am 15, I hope people will be willing to hire me because I am a bit older,” Baird said. “I am confident in finding a job.”
Even older teenagers who can drive independently have encountered similar difficulties.
18-year-old Olivia Watson, who is about to enter her final year of high school, is searching for a part-time job. She has received responses from several employers and attended various interviews but has not been able to secure a job.
Hailing from Calhoun, Louisiana, Watson revealed, “Most employers are looking for experienced employees, making it difficult for young people like me to find jobs. Moreover, most young people lack motivation compared to others, so employers don’t take young people seriously, especially in my hometown.”
Like Baird, Watson has applied for numerous jobs, including positions at local businesses, bakeries, retail stores, and restaurants, as well as some customer service roles.
The teenager from Louisiana mentioned that she has been looking for work for about a month, spending a significant amount of time filling out applications and following up with employers in an effort to stand out among the many candidates.
“Although it is challenging, I believe that if I continue to apply, work hard, and maintain a positive attitude, I will eventually find a job that suits me,” Watson said.
Watson expressed her desire to earn money for future savings, cover her expenses, accumulate experience for adult life preparation, and ultimately become more independent.
When asked about whether she believes the experts’ prediction that this summer will be the worst year ever for the teenage job market, she replied that she and many friends also looking for similar work have found that the situation is indeed as described.
“Some people have found jobs, but many of us, like me, have submitted many resumes with no responses or had to wait a long time for interview opportunities. It seems that job hunting is much more difficult than many of us expected,” Watson remarked.
In the increasing challenging teenage job market, some teenagers are showcasing their entrepreneurial spirit to earn money.
Tyler Brock, who was born and raised in Duplin County, North Carolina, started working for a nearby farmer at the age of 10 because he wanted to earn money to buy gas for his four-wheeler and go bowling with friends.
“I was doing some part-time jobs at that time,” Brock said. “But when I started the company, my only thought was, ‘Let’s see how hard we can work and how much we can achieve.'”
Eight years later, Brock owns Tyler’s Lawn Care, providing services to about 80 properties. He also co-owns a portion of a freight company with his father.
Recently, Brock also acquired a pig farm.
“I have always loved working, and this is something my father instilled in me – hard work and diligence,” Brock shared with Epoch Times. “I don’t have time to complain.”
Brock’s pig farm can raise up to 2,600 pigs, and he collaborates with Smithfield Foods, a food processing company based in Virginia.
These pigs belong to the food processing company, which entrusts them to Brock for care when they are around 13 pounds until they reach 45 to 270 pounds, at which point they can be sent to the processing facility.
Brock describes all his business ventures as “dreams” and “blessings.”
“I wake up every morning, go to school, attend football training, or any other sports we are in at the time. After training, I go to work,” Brock said. “I am someone who can’t sit idle for a moment, while most of my peers enjoy playing games – I don’t even know how to use an Xbox controller.”
Brock mentioned that he eventually gave up sports to devote himself to work.
He admitted to having thoughts of wanting to quit and finding work challenging. However, his work has also brought significant successes and fulfilling moments.
Jay Edouard, a 19-year-old youth from Long Island, New York, also exemplifies a similar entrepreneurial spirit.
He told Epoch Times that technically his first job was selling candies to classmates during middle school. Edouard wanted to earn money because he felt embarrassed asking for money from his parents when he was younger. He also mentioned wanting to buy a new pair of Jordan sneakers.
“I feel it is easier and better for me to earn my own money, and this way, they can’t refuse me,” Edouard said. “My dad, and even my mom, are happy that I started earning money at a young age or at least tried to.”
Upon entering high school, Edouard began working for a landscaping company and a snow removal company. He mentioned that he and his friends used to enjoy playing in the snow until they realized they could earn money from it.
Eventually, he registered an account on a website called MyTeenGig, connecting teenagers with homeowners willing to pay for household chores they need assistance with.
“There are all kinds of tasks on there. ordinary tasks like tending the yard, and one time, we even had to move a hot tub,” Edouard stated.
The job market for teenagers is predicted to dip to the lowest level in nearly 80 years this summer, according to employment outlook reports by Challenger, Gray, and Christmas, a Washington, D.C.-based career placement firm.
The reports highlight that teenagers face increasing challenges when seeking summer jobs, including factors like inflation and rising fuel costs squeezing the survival space of hiring families and small businesses.
Other obstacles include artificial intelligence and automation replacing entry-level positions that were traditionally the first jobs for most teenagers, such as cashiers, customer service, and inventory taking.
At the same time, teenagers are competing for positions with more experienced job seekers.
As more elderly workers delay retirement or return to work after retiring, they are seeking the same part-time or seasonal jobs as teenagers.
“It took a lot of time filling out applications, following up with employers, trying to stand out among the many candidates. Employers usually prefer someone with work experience, which can be frustrating for young people looking for their first job,” Watson remarked.
Today’s teenagers have shifted their focus compared to previous generations.
“This generation is not the teenage workforce of the 1980s,” the Challenger, Gray, and Christmas report noted.
Now, the younger generation is inundated with internships, academic programs, year-round club sports, content creation, and video games.
According to a Pew Research Center study released in May 2024 on the latest teenage video game usage, 85% of teenagers stated they play video games, with one-fourth viewing themselves as gamers who play games daily.
Most teenagers have a broader social network than they realize because parents, family friends, coaches, and others can provide potential networking opportunities for part-time jobs while also serving as character or professional ethics testimony for teenagers.
Experts advise teenagers to stand out among peers by preparing a resume, dressing neatly, arriving early, and paying attention to etiquette.
Furthermore, blue-collar jobs like construction, cement work, roofing, and farm work are not at risk of being replaced by artificial intelligence or older workers.
“In the summer, my construction company hires some teenagers, but there are not many teenagers willing to do this job,” Crumpler reminisced about the difficulty of staffing in Surf City.
He recalled his first job when he was 8 or 9 years old while living in Florida.
He pushed a manual lawnmower, carried a gallon of gas and an electric weed eater, and offered lawn mowing services to neighbors door-to-door, charging $1.5 each time. He recalled trying to charge $2.5 for a larger area once and receiving a stern lecture from the homeowner.
“Times have changed, but regardless, teenagers finding work is definitely not a priority,” Crumpler said.
Crumpler owns a sandwich shop in Surf City and is currently looking to hire three to six teenagers, the youngest being 14 years old. Two teenagers are already working at his shop.
“Surf City has always faced a labor shortage,” Crumpler said regarding local workforce challenges during the summer season. “Most businesses have a hard time finding help during the summer.”
Kerri Romeo, a 28-year pediatric physician assistant from Long Island, New York, who owns multiple businesses in Surf City, Bealeville, and Jacksonville, has been employing teenagers in various jobs, including construction and a sandwich shop. Crumpler grew up during a period when the teenage labor participation rate was at its highest.
“I grew up in the ’70s and ’80s, and we all had jobs. Everyone I knew had a job. Because we lived in agricultural communities, most people were working in agriculture. I used to work in construction,” Crumpler said. “Our thinking back then was that we can’t just sit at home doing nothing.”
As of June, the latest data shows that the teenage labor participation rate is at 35.4%.
According to Challenger, Gray, and Christmas reports, teenagers face numerous obstacles when seeking summer jobs, including inflation and rising fuel costs squeezing the survival space of hiring families and small businesses.
These obstacles include artificial intelligence and automation replacing positions like cashiers, customer service, and inventory roles that were typically the first jobs for teenagers.
At the same time, teenagers are competing with more experienced job seekers for positions.
More elderly workers are delaying retirement or returning to work after retirement, seeking the same part-time or seasonal jobs as teenagers.
“I spent a lot of time filling out applications, following up with employers, trying to stand out among the many candidates. Employers usually want someone with work experience, which can be frustrating for young people looking for their first job,” Watson said.
Today’s teenagers have shifted their focus compared to previous generations.
“This generation is not the teenage workforce of the 1980s,” the Challenger, Gray, and Christmas report noted.
Now, the younger generation is inundated with internships, academic programs, year-round club sports, content creation, and video games.
According to a Pew Research Center study released in May 2024 on the latest teenage video game usage, 85% of teenagers stated they play video games, with one-fourth viewing themselves as gamers who play games daily.