Youths Find Few Summer Jobs Available

Beverly Hills High School senior Neille Iliel is looking forward to a long summer. But instead of lounging poolside or on a sandy beach, she and thousands of other Westside students will join the seasonal work force.

At least they’ll try.

According to high school career departments, the summer job outlook is anything but sunny. Rhoda Sharp, director of career/vocational education at Beverly Hills High, says there are fewer jobs available these days.

“Five years ago, we’d have 50 jobs (displayed) on our job (bulletin) board for the summer,” she said. “Right now, we have only six.”

One of the best jobs, a clerical position at a local law office, was expected to be snapped up immediately because of the $7-an-hour pay, Sharp said.

“Kids aren’t going to run for the jobs that pay $4.95 an hour,” she said, referring to a West Hollywood recreation department position that had remained unfilled for more than a week.

In all, Sharp said, 127 jobs have been posted at the high school--less than half the number of five years ago. The story is the same throughout the Westside.

“We’re not getting the calls we used to, and it’s reflective of the lousy economy,” said Anna Paikow, career adviser for Fairfax High School in Los Angeles.

“There used to be new job cards every day, now we’re lucky to get one once a week,” Paikow said.

Now, she said, she tells her students to go directly to nearby Beverly Center and other malls and movie theaters to find summer work.

According to career counselors and teen-agers, the types of jobs available depend in large part on the makeup of the community.

Many students do not have cars, so they are constrained to jobs within walking distance or a short bus ride. That fact narrows the numbers of jobs that teen-agers can take, as well as leaving it up to the local community to hire the youths.

Fairfax High gets many jobs from nearby Universal Studios, the Greek Theater, movie theaters and local businesses; the vast majority of positions being offered via Beverly Hills High are clerical jobs in medical and law offices.

Because of the stalled economy, many businesses in the area of Fairfax High have closed, and the competition for the remaining jobs has grown more fierce, Paikow said. Even jobs that pay minimum wage--the so-called McJobs that once were the province of teen-agers--are now being taken by job-hungry adults.

In Beverly Hills, there is a dearth of fast-food jobs, simply because the city’s zoning code restricts traditional fast-food restaurants. And many clothing shops in the city seek sales clerks who are more experienced than is the typical high school student.

Having done a short stint as a sales clerk, Beverly High junior Kadiji Ellis says she would advise her fellow teen-agers against working retail. Most clerks, whose pay is often based on the amount of merchandise they sell, are in their 20s and 30s and are very competitive, she said.

“They’re working for a living,” Ellis said. “We’re working to buy more clothes and stuff.”

In Santa Monica, where retail boutiques and restaurants abound, youths are also finding a tight summer job market. Chris Robinson, office assistant at Santa Monica High’s Regional Occupational Program, said students are coming into the high school office seeking summer employment, but she has little to offer. Only a few businesses have contacted the school to post summer positions, she said.

“I feel sorry for the kids. They want to work but if the jobs aren’t there. . . .” Robinson said. “Maybe they are hiring in fast-food places, but they don’t call in here much. Students get them on their own.”

High school counselors urge employers to make an effort to hire youngsters for the summer.

“I really wish that employers would take a chance with our kids,” Paikow said. “They want to be trained, they want to work, and they learn very quickly.”