Summer job hunting has begun for many Northwest Arkansas youth, but with teen unemployment among the highest in the nation, the market remains competitive for part-time, hourly jobs.
Total unemployment in Northwest Arkansas was 5.3 percent in April, signifi cantly lower than the national unemployment rate of 8.1 percent that same month, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Teen unemployment in the state was 20.8 percent in May 2011 and 22.2 percent in May 2012, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by the Employment Policies Institute.
A person is considered unemployed if they do not have a job, have actively looked for work in the prior four weeks and are available for work, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics website. The unemployment rate is calculated by comparing the ratio of unemployed people to the total labor force, which includesemployed and unemployed people.
Students are not calculated into the work force unless they are employed or actively seeking work.
Nationally, the teen unemployment rate is 24.6 percent, according to the institute, and has been above 20 percent for more than 40 months. The two age groups with highest unemployment nationally in May were 16- to 19-year-olds at 24.6 percent and 20- to 24-year-olds at 12.9 percent.
Recent unemployment rates for teens in Northwest Arkansas aren’t available, but given the region typically has a lower rate than the state and the nation, it can be presumed the teen unemployment rate is also lower, said Susan Daniel, operations manager for the Arkansas Workforce Center at Fayetteville.
Despite the numbers, Northwest Arkansas youths seeking summer jobs are entering a competitive market.
“Jobs once considered seasonal work now become someone else’s full-time job,” said Kathy Deck, director for the Center for Business and Economic Research atthe University of Arkansas. “There’s competition for these jobs in a tough environment.”
Students and young adults looking for summer employment usually find hourlywage jobs in areas that don’t require diplomas, such as food service, child care and general office clerical work, Deck said.
McDonald’s has more than 1,700 employees in Northwest Arkansas, said Bill Mathews, co-owner of all the company’s franchises in the region. About half of his employees are 22 years old or younger, he said.
“It’s a good demographic to employ,” Mathews said. “They’re a great resource because they can relateto our customer base,” which are typically 18- to 35-year-olds, he said.
Average hourly pay for a part-time employee at a Northwest Arkansas McDonald’s is “competitive with marketplace wages,” Mathews said.
For Tyler Dutton, a University of Arkansas student, fi nding a job hasn’t been easy.
“You can’t be too choosy,” said Dutton. He works with The Arkansas National Phone Campaign through the university, as part of the school’s annual fundraising program. His job with the campaign will end for the summer on June 21 and will start again in August, so fi nding a job soon is pertinent, he said.
“It’s not hard to find a job, but sometimes you’ve got to bite the bullet if you don’t like retail or food service,” he said.
Dutton, who lives in Fayetteville, has been applying at businesses in Fayetteville and Springdale.
“I’m looking for really anything as long as it pays $8 an hour and is flexible with students,” he said. “I won’t work food service, though. It will always be my last resort.”
For young adults like Dutton who would prefer not to work in a restaurant, other options include outdoor recreational employment at state and national parks, lifeguard duty at public swimming pools, retail sales and child care programs.
Walmart employs thousands of local residents. Individual stores hire additional help during peak times ofthe year, said Kayla Whaling, Walmart spokeswoman.
“We do hire associates for seasonal help, but the decision is made at the local level,” Whaling said. Factors include traff c patterns, time of year and basic store needs. Specifi c information including ages and number of employees hired during peak times of year were not available, she said.
The Boys & Girls Club of Benton County offers child care and teaching experience to young adults wanting hands-on learning.
Most staft members at the four Boys & Girls clubs in Benton County fall within the 18- to 22-year-old range, said Jacob Hutson, chief executive off cer.
“It’s a great first job because you spend time with kids. You get to play but you learn job responsibilities,” Hutson said.
During the summer, the Boys & Girls Club of Benton County employs 59 parttime staft members, 22 more than are employed during the afterschool program. Of those 59 staff members, 18 were new hires and four were rehires, according to information from Ryan Lilly, fi nance director.
Business, Pages 9 on 06/17/2012