Kids, can't find a summer job? That's 'cause adults took them all

I am sorry to see that teenagers are having to compete with more experienced adults. When it comes to someone being able to pay their mortgage or feed their kids compared to having the pocket cash to buy beer for the weekend, or the newest video game, the adult seems the logical choice. I know that teenagers have expenses too, and that college can be expensive, but there are always casualties during a dreaded recession. The employers are almost always going to choose experienced and responsible adults over the younger generation, even though it's not always the best decision.

There's one thing being overlooked here... How do kids become experienced adults? By working. The less work these kids find now, the harder it will be to get jobs later. This whole you need experience before you can work attitude we have doesn't help much when there's some jobs that don't have any entry-level...

So it sucks these adults don't have work; really is terrible, but you know whats even more terrible? Their kids not being able to support them when they become feable, because they just got their career on the go at 30 because too many adults took their younger jobs!

"Steal" is a very strong piece of terminology. Are you suggesting the adults are committing crimes to
obtain these jobs? Nowhere, to my knowledge, does it say adults not allowed. The reality of it is that
it's a tough world out there, both for adults and teens. May the BEST person win.

I am 31 and worked all my teenage years. I am appalled by the teenagers nowadays that expect everything. Most of them don't even want to work. Foreign workers have filled all the jobs that teens and young adults have refused to do. Good luck getting and holding a real job kids.

I am an adult and work 2 jobs (1 full time and 1 part time) and having to work with teenagers is annoying...they are lazy, ungreatful, have no manners and expect you to do everything for them....it's appauling to think that they are complaining about an adult getting a job over them.
Why don't they get off their butts and really start looking instead of complaining.

If adults fully support their kids through college there wouldn't be this problem. They can focus their efforts on education rather than seeking out low paying jobs just to make ends meet. The adults get the jobs and feed the kids. The kids acquire skills they need for higher paying jobs down the road. The problem comes when kids are either incapable or unwilling to pursue a higher education.
In many non-Western societies the importance of a proper education is really drilled in to kids at a very young age. Here, movies like High School Musical 1,2,3, etc.. and numerous TV shows only reinforce the image that high school is only for enjoyment, song and dance. There is no importance given to planning a future. That is not to say that kids should not work at all. But adults have the responsibility to make sure that their kids don't NEED to work! Cut out a Caribbean vacation or two if need be to make it happen.
As a geeky kid I was bullied in school. I was advised "don't worry, you'll be their boss some day". Turned out to be true.

Not all teenagers are lazy. My daughter has been working since she graduated grade 8. She is simply trying to find a job so that she can go back to school and get her degree and not be seen as someone who isn't working. Right now she is working everyday trying to sell a product door-to-door, commissions only. This is how much she wants to work. If she doesn't get money then it comes from my pocket if I can manage, or she doesn't go back to school, and I am a SINGLE mom with 3 kids.

Are you people kidding me? These jobs are the jobs that teach kids the skills they will need throughout the rest of their life, things like work ethic, responsibility, and money management. These are skills that are necessary to succeed in life. So Canada and the rest of the world are in a recession, who cares. If the emerging work force is inexeperienced and un-skilled, you can bet that this recession is going to loom over us for an extended period. And when we finally do emerge from this recession there will be mass labour shortages; and considering the dynamics of our population, these labour shortages are going to take a massive toll on our economy. Remember, it is this generation of "lazy, ungrateful, no manners, and no work ethic" kids who will be funding your retirement plans in the future. Not to mention, it is likely that your parents said the same about you when you were that age.

Hey there are too many kids who are lazy and when that paycheck rolls in they either quit or start skipping work. Hell if they don't want to work, which many really don't, wht not give the jobs to those who will work. It shouldn't matter who or how old they are. -RME- And bully for the kids who aren't lazy.

We bring in approximately 150 off shore workers every year for work that could be done by younger local people if they would do the job. If they are even willing to take the positions we have, they are unwilling to perform at a level that will allow us to realise even a small profit at the end of the year. We would have to increase our labour force to almost 250 if we relied on local labour. So those of you unable to find employment, you might want to start thinking "what you can do for an employer", not the oppisite. I feel sorry for those few who don't fit the norm and don't get the consideration you deserve. However we as an employer are not a welfare agency nor do we have the time or resources to feret out the few deserving out of the crowd.

My son - although technically now an adult but in need of summer employment, is going into his second year university. Prior to University he did 3 years at fast food, which he had to quit to go off to school. The job he had lined up for the summer fell through so now he is like Debbies daughter, doing door to door commision only, 40 hrs per week, sometimes also doing the optional Saturday work. I was skeptical - to say the least - but he is making money and along the way learning some marketing and team building skills, the importance of proper image, attitude etc. I may have to kick in more than I hoped to for this next school year, but no one can accuse him of sitting on his duff, or not being committed to the work. These are the skills he learned as a 15 year old flipping square burgers. You can't paint all kids with the same brush.

I agree with Cindy, my son too is doing a job that others are laughing at...standing on street corners fundraising for a good cause, but he has been sticking it out while he is out of school, and knows that even a little income helps stop the bleeding of his hard-earned money that he earned while working as a general labourer in manufacturing as a student. But those jobs are gone now, and this is what he has to do, which he is fully aware of.
Adults ARE taking some jobs from the yuounger workers...that is the free market economy at work. Nothing more. I also agree with David Smith, there are a lot of farming jobs out there that pay good money with a regular paycheque, and pay for 12 hours of work a day. It's backbreaking sure, but even adults want in on this market, and yet they are often shut out because the YOUNGER workers are the ones being supported by the farmers... farmers can't guarantee year-round work...but they can and do help out a lot of students...

I say to all students and youth, trhat as your parents we too suffered high unemployment rates and we had to get creative and had to bust our butts to get jobs, much less keep them. The world has not changed THAT much in 40 years.... and the more it changes the more it stays the same.... so now it's YOUR turn to compete against us.....and from my viewpoint, it seems that both sides are losing significant opportunities in this new recessionary economy.

Fighting against each age group only serves to distract us all from the ineptitude of the governments that helped to put us here, and who are doing precious little enough to help us out...no matter how much lip-service they pay to helping out the underem,ployed and the unemployed.

Let's paint the target on the government leaders instead, and hold them accountable.

I am a single Mom and had to "steal" a teenage job to help make ends meet since the factory where my ex worked closed and i found myself with 400$ less a month. I am working 2 jobs; not for the fun of it but because I have to for my kids. Do I feel bad that I am taking some teenagers spot; a little but I am doing what I have to. Unfortunatly, that is life.

I don't really blame adults stealing jobs away from teenagers. Of all the jobs I worked, I just can't handle some irresponsible, immature teenagers I worked with. While I worked hard to make the retail stores more presentable and a best experience for shoppers, I see a bunch of teenagers slacking off, no matter how many times the supervisors ordered them to do something productive. And when I became a stay-at-home mom, I dread going to places where I get rude teenagers working there and not giving best service at all. If those teenagers want to have money, then BE RESPONSIBLE! IF the teens want to gain skills and experience, then WORK WITHOUT SLACKING OFF!

I live in St Thomas where the area is all auto and one empty truck plant Sterling. My stepdaughter can't get a job for 4 months in the area cause the employers will only give a chance to the many thousands of unemployed in the area who want full time work, leaving alot of students with no income cause of lack of parttime work. OSAP thinks she had a chance of making money cause they will only give her 1/2 of what she got last year. We have to put part of our house up for collateral to hopefully get her schooling finished. Unfortunately the big bank bosses in Toronto think St Thomas is a big risk with the high unemployment. My job is quite secure, and the daughter already has full time employment after she graduates. She can start it right now, but finishing school is more important. I feel bad for her and all the other students in the same boat.

I can't see how anyone, especially, Jason Buckland can say we as adults are stealing jobs from teenagers. If he would see that teenagers are too damn lazy to do work but want to get paid for it just the same. They want everything handed to them. Of course we as adults know whats at stake when it comes to doing a job wether it be in a corporate office or at Quizzno's. We have families to support and if you look at the price of living these days Jason buckland, there is no such thing as a one income family. I must add thoough some teenagers are mature enugh to know what work entails. Stop badgering the working adult who only wants to support thier family.

I find this very interesting, when just a couple years ago the market was starving for staff, many young people were working in what could be thought of as adult jobs. In Alberta they lowered many of the standards for ages, so 14 year olds could work in occupations where they would be in a more mature environment, such as restaurants. At the same time, many places such as McDonald's and Tim Hortons started paying a better wage to attract staff who would stay longer. We were seeing older people working what is condsidered traditional teen jobs a few years ago. At the same time with a recession, it is these business that are staying busy (lower priced items) so these people are able to keep their jobs.
Teens are not so much not getting hired, as struggling with jobs not actually being thrown at them. A few years ago I would scramble and beg to get young students to work for me at a summer camp, now hundreds of qualified resumes are coming in. And it really has been an 18 month turn around, which may be hard for many of these kids to get used to.

You guys seems guilty or apologizing to take teens job... Miley Cirius is a teen with a star job and don't care about teen's job... The big problem is our capitalism pushing you into the low paid service job which you are now fighting for like dogs... The global manufacturing allow the rich to have the poor compete and they pocket the bonus... and by allowing this you are sending our military manufacturing ability to China (Hummer) and you have became a bunch of service clown.

We have people here taking our advanced technology and send it to other country for cheap labor and we do not call them traitors but CEO and honnor them with bonuses and since CEOs have the pockets full and we do not have our manufacturing jobs... we will dance naked on the broadway for the CEOs...

This is not that there is cheap labor else where, but that we have allowed a few to take the skills that this nation have developped and bargain it and give it to countries that will eventually rule us... for the immediate profit of these few...

It does not need to be a tough world Walt, and by writing that the best person is the one who wins this game... you accept and allow the domination of our working class.

My daughter will be 18 soon and out of high school. She had the idea of looking for a full time job and taking a year off in between schools and saving some money to attend university. That won't be happening as no one is hiring. I am on disablity due to a chronic acute illness and can't really afford to help her financially. So, guess what her university is delayed and she has now decided that she take the option of staying at high school for another year.

I understand that single mothers, unemployed fathers etc need to take any job to support their families and i can empathize. When I went on disability several years ago my income was cut by overr $1000 a month so my daughter and i sacrificed by selling our home, downsizing our car and basically changing our total lifestyle. What I can't empathize is people working two jobs - everybody in this economy must sacrifice something. Whether its buying cheaper food, doing without a car or selling your home and expensive car.

What I don't understand is that we as a nation both here and in the US is that we are sarificing a generation of people. If our child cannot get the education they need to be able to do future jobs where does that leave us?

I would also like to add that I agree with philippe about losing jobs overseas so companies can make a higher profit margin and executives can get bonuses based on lowering their costs. We have to get our heads out of the sand and start to fight back.

The other thing I would like to add is that my daughter has been told bluntly and to her face from at least 5 companies (retail and hospitality) that they are only hiring seasoned, mature workers. One place even told her that all teenagers steal and they don't hire teenagers.