Tips for teens trying to land a summer job

This is shaping up to be a banner summer for teenagers looking for a job. But, employment experts say, they shouldn’t wait to apply, because competition for jobs may increase as the economy reopens.

Yes, job openings abound right now, as hiring increases from the depths of the pandemic. Entry-level, teenfriendly jobs in the restaurant, fast-food, hospitality and leisure sectors are especially plentiful.

An analysis published this past week by Drexel University’s Center for Labor Markets and Policy projected that the proportion of 16- to 19-yearolds with a job will rise to 31.5 percent. That would be the highest level since 2008 and a substantial increase from the pandemic, when just over 26 percent were employed in the summer of 2020.

“It’s a really quick rebound,” said Paul Harrington, the center’s director.

As of May 28, openings overall were up 27 percent from pre-pandemic levels, said AnnElizabeth Konkel, an economist at the job site Indeed.com. Areas with the biggest increases included drivers, particularly food delivery, and child care.

Summer camps, which were shuttered last year, are reopening and eager to hire, said Tom Rosenberg, the president and chief executive of the American Camp Association. He said camp jobs helped develop communication, decision-making and conflict-resolution skills and were mainly outdoors, offering a welcome respite from months of time spent indoors and on screens during the pandemic.

While Memorial Day, the traditional start of the summer season, has just passed, it’s not too late to apply.

“It’s a great time to be a teenager looking for a job,” he said.