The availability of various job positions around Albany can vary immensely. While some find it easy, others may find it hard to secure employment. Teenagers often share different experiences when seeking employment than adults do. 

     Sophomore Senia Robin has been unemployed for seven months now. In the summer, she worked as an intern at her father’s office. She explained that she works in the summer to avoid conflict with her school schedule. Currently, she’s looking for a job for this summer, but is finding it hard. 

     “Because [teenagers] have less flexibility and jobs look for someone who can be flexible,” Robin said. 

     Robin said she’s limited due to her age; if she could choose, she would pick something more fun for her. 

     “If it’s a job you actually want, it can be harder to find,” Robin said. 

     Robin has felt that finding a job she actually enjoys is difficult. When Robin searches for jobs, she tries to look for flexible hours, a friendly work environment, and anything above minimum wage. 

     “I feel like people look down on you and don’t respect you as much [when you’re a teenager],” Robin said. “They don’t expect as much from you. They mostly ignore me.” 

     Respect and acknowledgement are something Robin looks for in her work environment. In the past, her co-workers have treated her differently; she suspects it’s due to her age.

     “I haven’t been able to find anywhere that hires 15-year-olds yet,” Robin said. 

     Freshman Kaden Truong has struggled to get a job, even though he’s more than willing to work. Having to get a ride if you don’t have a license can make the process of getting to work difficult.

     “I’m having trouble finding a job that will hire me and be convenient,” Truong said. “I was going to go to an interview a little bit ago, but then my parents decided that it wouldn’t be worth it for me because of [the] gas money.”

     “The nearest place that [could] hire me is a ten-minute drive from my house, and I can’t drive yet, so that’s an issue.” Truong said. 

     Despite the abundance of businesses in Albany, quite a lot of them don’t currently hire 15 year-olds. 

     The rewarding aspects of employment are what inspire Truong to get a job. 

     “When you work, there are other things you gain besides money, [like] how to do taxes and [how to] work with people. It teaches you a lot of essential life skills. And of course, earning some extra money would be nice,” Truong said. 

     Truong makes the point that these skills lead to having better work experiences in the future, so it’s good to get an early start. 

     “In general, the unemployment rate is going crazy, and a lot of people have been getting laid off,” Truong said. “Finding a job even with a good college degree is difficult, especially paying off student loans. I think there’s a lot of teenagers applying, so businesses have to sort out all the competition that there is right now.” 

     Truong speculates that not only are teenagers not able to find jobs right now without a hassle, but also that there are quite a few things that add up to not being able to get a job.

     According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of July 2024, only 54.5% of the youth ages 16 to 24 were employed. In youth specifically, more look for jobs in the months between April and July because of school. 

    Oftentimes, as a starting position, people make minimum wage, which can be difficult for teenagers to comply with due to the short hours that are available to work. Finding ways to fit a work schedule around activities and school is an issue that sophomore Fieldin Babbitt faces. 

     “I run track, and this semester I don’t have an open. A sport is a big time commitment,” Babbitt said. 

     Babbitt speculated that his friends who also do track have experienced the same challenge in finding employment. 

     “I’ve applied for eight jobs, but none of them got back to me,” Babbitt said. “Finding a first job is difficult, especially at 16.” 

     Getting no response has also been the case for sophomore Mason Frisk. 

     “I didn’t get the job; they never emailed me back after they said that they would,” Frisk said.

     After receiving no feedback as to whether he was hired or not, he was confused. Although unsure, Frisk believes that the reason why he ended up with no response was due to the amount of people applying for the same position. He felt that he could work almost just as well as an adult could, despite what may be interpreted. 

     The idea that many people are applying for jobs right now also aligns with sophomore Ali Boucher’s view on why teenagers are currently struggling to find jobs. She referenced her friends who currently cannot find jobs. 

     “A lot of jobs want at least some experience, and because most people my age are looking for a first job, they don’t have experience,” Boucher said. “A lot of people are going after the same jobs, [so] it’s hard to hire when everyone wants a job.” 

     In her experience, she noticed there is an expectation to have experience in working prior to applying. This can be an issue for teenagers finding a first job, because not everyone has the same level of experience to start out with. Some people will naturally need more time to learn how to go about a workplace, possibly requiring more training time, which isn’t ideal for employers. 

     In Boucher’s experience, she hasn’t found it easy to work around the restrictions of the school schedule, and she explained that was the reason she quit her last job. 

     “It was too much of a time commitment, and the pay was too little,” Boucher said. 

     School is an obstacle she finds difficult to work around because she prioritizes it over work. Finding the time to work and keep up with school can lead to a tight schedule that may overlap with other commitments. 

     “If I had my choice, I would choose something where I could work from home [on] my own schedule,” Boucher said. 

     Boucher would prefer to be able to have a flexible schedule due to her not having enough time to fit in school.

     There are strategies available to utilize in finding a job. Truong suggested using websites like Indeed and Glassdoor to find local places hiring. 

     “They have filters on there where you can put in a certain age,” Truong said. 

     When looking for open positions, Frisk uses Facebook, which is another easily accessible way to find openings.

     Babbitt’s strategy is to find people who can suggest him positions.

     “I’ve reached out to people I know who are working in those fields and tried to get references and such,” Babbitt said. 

     Boucher, on the other hand, assesses her skill set to find jobs that best align with her capabilities. This strategy has worked for her in the past, and she plans to continue to use it. Knowing what type of skills she has and how to use them has seemed to be the most successful tool Boucher has used.

     Unemployment continues to be a common occurrence among youth in the community. As teens find new ways to overcome the challenges they may encounter when seeking employment, more opportunities can become prevalent.