Summer jobs mean responsibility, more freedom

For some teens, finding a summer job this past summer was a hard process. Some were willing to do anything; others fretted, wanting to find something they'd really enjoy.

Most teens got work, anywhere from retail to fast food, but it was not necessarily easy to find the ideal summer job -- especially with the slow economy.

According to the Utah Department of Workforce Services, the unemployment rate for teens was higher this past summer than the summer before. In June 2003, the national teen unemployment rate was 19.3 percent. In 2002, it was 16.9 percent, nationwide. This 19.3 percent teen unemployment rate is considerably higher than it was during the 1990s, when it averaged 14.0 percent.

The unemployment rate may have been higher this year, "but the participation rate of teens was also higher this year," said Mark Knold, a senior economist with the Utah Department of Workforce Services. About 52 percent of all teens in the United States were "participating," either working or looking for work in June 2003. This is almost 5 percent higher than in 2002.

Copper Hills High School senior Brooke Bennion has been working at Naborhood Bakery for almost a year now, so increasing her hours during the summer was fairly easy. It is a job she likes.

"Having this job teaches me a lot of responsibility, and it teaches me how to budget my money," said Bennion. She is responsible for many personal expenses and is helping to buy her car.

Murray High School sophomore Richard Marsh began working at the beginning of the summer, planning to earn spending money and eventually get a cell phone. Marsh is only 15, which made it harder for him to find a job. He was able to get work at a Snowie Shack in a Smith's parking lot, helping others cool off with a cold treat.

Unfortunately for Marsh, his job ended after Labor Day. "I'm going to take the first few months of autumn off until I turn 16 in November," said Marsh. "That way I can have more choices for which job I can get."

Melissa Cardenas, a junior at Olympus High School, said, "My job is unique because not everyone has the privilege of getting to know special people like the ones I get to work with."

Having a job where she tends four children, three of them disabled, Cardenas has learned and continues to learn to deal with many different situations. She explained that the oldest girl she tends is a normal 11-year-old, but her younger sister has a seizure disability and continues to have strokes. The two younger boys in the family both have hearing problems, with the the 2-year-old being profoundly deaf.

Though it's a challenging job, Cardenas enjoys it. "I don't have to sit behind a counter or take orders at a greasy fast-food place. I get to work with kids, and I think it's fun."

Taryn Brown, a senior at Olympus, spent the summer as a landscaping technician. "I find out what people want their yards to look like," Brown said, "then I rearrange their yard by taking things out and putting new things in, to make it look just like what they wanted it to."

The best part, he says, is working outdoors and working with his hands. He also enjoys the variety and meeting different people. The drawbacks? "You become a little more prone to injuries. Sometimes working with big lawn tools and lawn mowers and huge machines, you can get hurt. Heat stroke, exhaustion -- you have to keep yourself properly hydrated all the time, 'cause you're not in some air- conditioned building."

Nate Purseris, like many other teens, worked during the summer in order to save for college. Purseris graduated from Murray High School in 2003 and enrolled at Brigham Young University. Purseris, who worked at Papa Murphy's Pizza, is also saving for an LDS mission. He plans on leaving when he turns 19.

"My parents are paying for (college) until I get back from my mission," said Purseris. "I got a scholarship, so we don't have to pay too much for school. I'm just helping them out."

Whether having a job during the summer or school year, most teens say that having their own money to spend is the most important reason they work.

Mallory Hill is a senior at Murray High School and Janae Dunbar is a senior at Olympus High School.

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