Summer jobs? There aren't many

The good old-fashioned lemonade stand might be the best bet this year for high school or college students looking for summer cash.

The reason?

Jobs that typically accommodated youths in a better economy now are being filled by out-of-work adults.

With Flathead County unemployment at 12.2 percent, teens with no job experience are submitting applications at the same places as well-educated adults who have logged decades in the work force.

“There are a lot of unemployed adults that are taking those jobs,” LC Staffing Branch Manager Heidi Robison said. Overqualified workers have been forced to seek out entry-level positions just to get by, she said.

It used to be that students were the only ones who looked at seasonal employment because the pay typically is lower, there are no benefits and there is no guarantee the job will continue past the months of peak visitation.

That’s not true any more, Flathead Job Service Supervisor Laura Gardner said.

“With our unemployment rate as high as it is, workers looking for year-round employment are willing to take the seasonal jobs just to get by,” Gardner said. “Job seekers are willing to lower their standards.”

Even then, positions are slim.

The Kalispell Parks and Recreation Department needs roughly 110 workers to cover its seasonal positions. That sounds like a lot, but 70 percent will be filled with returning workers.

That leaves only about 35 spots for new hires, and many of the applications received have been from reliable adults looking for needed income. Mike Baker, director of Parks and Recreation, said he has seen a significant increase in applications from adults this year.

“That’s a direct reflection of the times. There’s a lot of people out of work out there,” he said. A few years ago, Baker couldn’t fill all of his summer positions because of the high competition for summer workers.

Now he has far more applicants than he has time to interview.

His positions are perfect for students, he said. Typically, he likes to hire those just out of high school and then bring them back each summer through college. It keeps his budget for training down and creates a more efficient work force.

Baker isn’t alone in preferring returning workers.

At Signature Theaters in Hutton Ranch Plaza, a manager said she only has enough need to hire back the youths who worked there last summer.

It’s the same for Flathead County Parks and Recreation.

It makes it that much harder for teens to break into the work force.

At Norm’s News in Kalispell, manager Cyndi Staheli already has the schedule set for the entire summer, making provisions for her employees’ family vacations, camps and such.

Staheli is the only adult and only staff member to work full time.

Known for being teen-friendly, the shop has a full staff of 26 youths and Staheli said that’s more than enough to get her through the summer.

With such a big crew, most employees work just one or two shifts a week at best.

Gardner said students looking for jobs should make themselves as flexible as possible and be open to working any shift — be it early morning, late night or holiday — that could be asked of them. Older workers tend to have more obligations to family or the community.

“It’s going to be difficult to stand out when others have experience,” she said.

Business reporter Erika Hoefer may be reached at 758-4439 or by e-mail at ehoefer@dailyinterlake.com