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2026 summer will be worst yet for teen employment in decades, WSJ predicts 79%
5/30/2026, 12:59:14 AM
BS Summary: This video contains 28 faulty reasoning types, including Negativity Bias, Anecdotal, and Appeal to Authority, with Hasty Generalization as the most egregious example at 34.9% saturation with 210 hits. Analysis detected 1,667 faulty-reasoning hits from 601 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 71.6% and a BS Rank of 79% (3,586 of 16,813 videos). This video is worse (more manipulative) than 78.70% of the video peer group.
You probably remember the good old days when you flipped burgers, bagged groceries, or scooped ice cream. Simpler times.
Well, now getting a summer job just isn't what it used to be. The Wall Street Journal reports that this summer is expected to be the worst for teen jobs since 1948 when the federal government started tracking the data.
A placement firm Challenger Gray and Christmas as teen employment is around 34%.
That's compared to 50% in the 70s and 80s. Ray A. Smith, a reporter covering career and workplace issues at Wall Street Journal, reported on this and joins us now.
So, Rey, I was a sandwich artist.
You were worked at a famous retailer and you were a messenger.
I mean, these are these are formative things, right? They teach you the building blocks to the workforce.
You talked to a Cape Cod ice cream parlor that had 50 slots open. They had hundreds of applications.
You have resorts, hotels, amusement parks saying they're going to fill 70% fewer slots.
What's happening?
>> What's happening is weaker consumer spending, especially with high inflation and higher gas prices, especially that's causing the consumer to pull back.
And when employers at those establishments see that, they start to say, "Do we really need to hire as many teens as we have in previous summers?"
So that's what's going on.
>> What are they doing? Are they just giving the current people they have on the payroll more hours?
They're doing some combination of that, but they're just hiring fewer teens than they have in previous summer numbers.
>> Now, sounds like a lot of teens want a job from your reporting.
I mean, the New York City Youth Employment Program had twice as many applicants for jobs available, but that's not the case for everyone, right?
It's not like every teen is clamoring to get a job.
Why what's happening?
>> That's true. There are some teens who are like busy with college prep or they have sports obligations or other obligations.
Some are into content creation, so that's taking up a lot of their time.
But there's still a lot of teens that are out there that are not overscheduled and they want to do something with their free time.
They want to make a little more money if they can so they don't have to always ask their parents for what they want.
And it's like a right of passage. It's almost like getting your driver's license,
>> but they're having a hard time. >> But they're having a hard time.
>> So, what can people do to land that gay?
Are there any bright spots?
>> There are some bright spots. I'm glad you asked that.
Um, Indeed says the job site Indeed says that the job listings for lifeguards are really up this year.
Almost 80%.
>> Got to pass the swim test, folks. I I failed that.
>> The 1500 freestyle, not my jam.
>> I'm sorry. I'm sorry that that happened to you, but you know, if beaches and pools just seem to be always needing lifeguards, so that's definitely a bright spot.
But I would also encourage teens like to stay in touch with the employers that rejected them. I know that sounds weird, but like midsummer,
maybe some of those teams they hired won't work out and they might have you as a backup. So, you never know.
>> Interesting. Okay, Ray A. Smith, thank you so much. Thank you.
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