Valley teens having tough time finding employment

YAKIMA, Wash. -- Needing to pay for gas and car insurance, 17-year-old Peter Wachsmith began applying for jobs at fast-food restaurants and retailers last summer.

Then he waited for the phone to ring. It never did.

A year and more than 14 applications later, his fortune changed when he accepted a job offer at KFC on North 40th Avenue. He began working there this month.

"I was screaming and jumping up and down, laughing. I was so happy to get this job," said Peter, who lives in Gleed. "Getting a job is really hard in this economy. People are giving jobs more and more to adults, versus teenagers. ... I understand that, but you still need a job as a kid."

Peter is not alone in his struggles. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 20 percent of 16- to 19-year-old males in Washington's workforce were unemployed in 2007. That number jumped to 46 percent in 2010.

Among females in the same age group, unemployment increased from 15 percent to 24 percent in this period. About 1,400 households were surveyed in the study.

"It is very difficult for teens to get jobs," said Jean Brown, a business services manager for WorkSource Yakima. "They are competing against more seasoned workers with a job history. ... It is difficult to get anything but a food-service position if you're a teen."

Nationally, teen unemployment has also grown. According to BLS surveys, nearly 16 percent of 16- to 19-year-olds seeking jobs were unemployed in 2007. Three years later, the rate increased to 30 percent.

A related BLS report, titled "The early 2000s: A Period of Declining Teen Summer Employment Rates," attributes the increased unemployment to such factors as growing summer school enrollment, the decline of federally funded summer jobs and increased competition from adults.

Yakima County's overall unemployment rate for May -- the latest data available -- was 10.3 percent. Data on teen unemployment for individual counties is not kept.

Brad Christianson, owner of three Ace Hardware stores in Yakima and Naches, employs about 33 people. Four are teens.

He said he tends to hire older workers because 16- and 17-year-olds are too young to handle box knives and the key machine, as per state regulations. Their work schedules are less flexible during the school year, and many don't stick with the same job for very long, he said.

"We're looking for permanent employees," he said. "By the time they get trained, they go off to school. That's tough for us."

Christianson believes many teenagers have yet to develop a strong work ethic, as evidenced by former employees who texted their friends while on the job, he said.

"I'd love to have a young kid start at the bottom and work all the way up, but a lot of kids don't have that yet," he said. "Sharp kids who graduate and are motivated will find jobs. That's what people are looking for."

Traci Bennett seeks these qualities from her summer help. As the recreation supervisor for the Yakima Parks & Recreation Department, she oversees 56 employees, 35 of whom are teens.

Most of the teenagers work as lifeguards -- jobs they gained by having already completed a 35- to 40-hour training course and paying for their lifeguard certification, she said.

But because of the economy, Bennett said the jobs are becoming more competitive. In the past two years, she's hired more people in their late teens or early 20s than 16- and 17-year-olds.

"If a kid leaves summer employment (with us) on a good note, we look to hire them first," she said. "Potentially, we'll have them as they go through their college career."

Debbie Henn, who co-manages KFC on North 40th Avenue in Yakima, has open interviews every Tuesday. Sometimes, only five or six people attend. Other times, she'll interview as many as 22 people.

Henn, who has about 25 people working for her, said her staff members range in age from 16 to 40-something. For her, age doesn't matter as much as personality -- which helps explain why she hired Peter.

"Peter is a little more outgoing and very bubbly. He takes pride in things," she said. "We're looking for highly talented, highly skilled workers."

At KFC, Peter does everything from cook and mop floors to wash dishes and crush boxes. After only a few weeks, he said he's learned to develop a tough skin when people are shouting food orders at him, and he's gained a newfound respect for the stress adults must face in their own jobs.

He credits a marketing class at Naches Valley High School for teaching him proper interview etiquette.

"I thank God for that class. It taught us what adults look for," he said. "I had very good references, and I dressed professionally -- with nice shoes, pants and a button-up shirt. It went really well."

Dee Jones of Naches hopes Peter's luck will rub off on him. The 16-year-old Naches resident and friend of Peter's has spent nearly a year looking for jobs by flipping through the phone book.

At first, he had his heart set on working at a clothing store. Now, Dee said he'll take whatever he can get.

"I've applied to 18 or 19 places," he said, undeterred by the lack of response. "You never know. Somebody could get fired or quit or something. I might as well keep applying."

* Erin Snelgrove can be reached at 509-577-7684 or esnelgrove@yakimaherald.com.