Minnesota teens struggle to land summer jobs this year

Walfer Quevedo works three jobs.

The 17-year-old is about to begin his fourth summer as a staff member at Natural Leaders, a summer camp run by Minneapolis Public Schools’ Community Education program. He also works busing tables at Mexican restaurant Salsa a la Salsa, earning $16 an hour, and as a host at Colombian breakfast spot Maria’s Cafe, where he makes $16.50.

At Natural Leaders, where he once attended camp as a kid, Quevedo will earn $18 an hour. He’s saving up for gas and groceries when he starts at Dunwoody College of Technology in the fall.

Quevedo said he feels lucky. Many of his friends are struggling to find jobs or get as many hours as they need.

The job market for teenagers is becoming increasingly challenging. The teen unemployment rate in Minnesota has ticked up as labor analysts say employers look for those with experience even for entry-level jobs.

Minnesota’s teen unemployment rate rose to 7.1% in April, up from 5.5% a year earlier, according to Oriane Casale, assistant director of the Labor Market Information Office at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

At the same time, the state’s overall unemployment rate remained relatively steady.

“I think that’s an indication that employers are slightly shifting away from teens and looking more towards experienced workers,” Casale said.

It doesn’t help that industries such as retail and food service, traditionally dominated by 16- to 19-year-olds, have cooled off following a post-pandemic hiring spree.

“They’re not ramping up at the moment, and so that makes it a little harder,” Casale said.

Nationwide, unemployment among people ages 16 to 19 rose to 13.4% in May, compared to 12.4% a year earlier, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Jessica Lipa, career and technical education director for the Anoka-Hennepin School District’s Secondary Technical Education Program, said the changes are affecting students she works with as well.

“Kids are getting hit twice as hard with it because it’s just harder to find those positions, and employers are just hiring less people,” she said.

Quevedo has noticed more experienced adults applying for positions at Salsa a la Salsa in recent months.

“There’s always one or two people who come in and ask for a job application, and they’re always a lot more experienced ... so I feel myself struggling and trying to keep up with that,” he said.

Quevedo and Emelia Tigan, 18, said they’ve noticed a decrease in options for high-schoolers at restaurant and retail jobs.

Tigan started working in the kitchen at the YMCA Camp St. Croix in Hudson, Wis., when she was 14. She’s working in the kitchen again this year, in addition to filling in as an overnight counselor when needed.

“I grew up going to Camp St. Croix my whole life,” she said, and says working there is the “perfect high school job.”

She also has an in. Her mom is senior vice president of adventure and camp operations at the YMCA of the North. Still, the $16 an hour gives her spending money, even with half going into her college fund.

The YMCA of the North, which has 18 locations that employ teens like Tigan, hired more than 1,800 teens and young adults last summer, according to spokeswoman Emily Lowther. As of June 1, this year’s number is 2,046.

“We know that kids are also seeing opportunities at Target and Aldi, so we are trying to, where we can, be ahead of the curve,” Michel Tigan said of pay.

The YMCA is meeting teens where they are — on their phones, she said. The organization posts job positions on Indeed and other websites, in addition to connecting with high schools and Minneapolis Public Schools Community Education.

YMCA is not the only group still hiring.

Teens often enter and exit the labor force throughout the year, which naturally leads to higher unemployment rates, Casale said. And summer hiring is still underway.

“There are still lots of opportunities for teens out there,” she said. “They might just need to be a little more creative about where they’re looking for employment.”

Casale said her 14-year-old son is planning to work at the Minnesota State Fair, where there are still plenty of openings.

Minneapolis Public Schools Community Education hired 196 youth staff this summer through its own programs and placed 76 more interns through Step Up, a city-led initiative that helps teens find jobs. Pay ranges from $16 to $20 per hour.

Step Up is “one of the largest youth appointment serving spaces in the state,” said Steve Alexander, the manager of youth and adult programs at MPS Community Education. “They receive a large youth grant to hire young people in the city of Minneapolis and place them in businesses or internships.”

Alexander emphasized that MPS tries to place teens in the communities where they grew up.

Quevedo is looking forward to welcoming campers at Natural Leaders in Whittier, especially the younger kids who dubbed him “King Waffle” last summer, a playful twist on his first name.

“I finally got to the age where I was able to lead groups,” he said. “And it felt good helping the little kids because it reminded me of myself.”