Michael Postma
Workforce Development Area Manager
School is out and summer is finally here. Students are excited to have completed another year of school and look forward to the freedom that summer offers. For many teens, this freedom involves working summer jobs to earn disposable income. Summer work for teens has been a tradition for Americans for decades but the number of teens engaged in the workforce has steadily declined over the years. According to DEED Assistant Director Oriane Casale, only 53.5% of youth ages 16-19 were in the workforce as the end of 2021. The good news for the 46.5% of teens without jobs, Minnesota’s current tight labor market is providing them with an abundance of opportunities. These jobs are paying higher wages and offering more flexibility than ever before.
Some of the hardest hit sectors during the pandemic were service-related ones. Food service, retail sales, and hospitality have all seen an outflow of adult job seekers. With Americans’ appetite for travel and entertain climbing after two years of the pandemic, teens stand poised to step in to fill these gaps. Restaurants, local retail shop owners and entertainment venues are actively recruiting students to handle their summer crowds. They are willing to work around family vacations, sports practices and band pract …
Workforce Development can help with summer jobs – Austin Daily Herald – Austin Herald
