Finding a Job Is Hard Work for Hermosa Teens

In today's dismal job market, having a bachelor's degree or even a doctorate is sometimes not enough. For high school students, the situation is even worse.

Rarely are teenagers seen scooping ice cream, selling surf gear, or brewing coffee for extra dough as they have frequently done in years past.

Of California residents who are unemployed, 34.5 percent are teenagers. In L.A. County, 11 percent of all residents are unemployed, according to the state Employment Development Department.

"The more structure kids can be given in school and outside school, like work for example, the more likely they stay out of mischievous behavior," said Nicholas Landay, director of the School of Education at Loyola Marymount University. He says teen unemployment often correlates with teen crime.

Hermosa Beach Police made three juvenile arrests in June, compared with no arrests in the same month a year ago. A total of 10 juvenile arrests have been made to date this summer.

"With strict parental curfews and… extracurricular activities, teenagers can stray from harm," said Angela Janulewicz of the Hermosa Beach Police Department.

But teenagers struggle with finding work to keep them busy, as they compete against college students and experienced professionals who have been laid off.

"It took my [older] sister months and months of training before she worked and I don't want to do that just yet," said 16-year-old Redondo Union High School student and Hermosa Beach resident Trinity Talbot. "It would be hard to get a job for a person my age, anyway."

Angelo, who refused to give his last name for fear that talking to a reporter would cost him his new job at Jamba Juice, suggested that now is not the best time for teenagers to find work.

"Jobs usually don't hire anyone that young anymore," said the 24-year-old South Bay resident. "In this economy, everyone that is and should be getting the jobs are between 20 and 40 years old."

Even senior citizens are outnumbering teenagers in the workforce as the recession delays people's retirement plans. Competition from seniors makes entry-level positions even more difficult for teenagers to find, according to data compiled by Bloomberg News.

With such roadblocks to overcome, teenagers are growing frustrated with the job market and many are opting to instead spend their summer playing beach volleyball, joining junior lifeguards or vacationing, Talbot said. 

"My friends and I aren't interested in working just yet," he said. "Maybe in a couple of years from now I'll work but I just want to enjoy myself this summer."

But not all teens share Talbot's attitude. For 16 year-olds Michael Owen and Jessica Arroyo of South Pasadena, who are both working this summer, most days off are spent at the volleyball nets near the Hermosa Beach Pier.

They notice a difference in how many of their friends work in Pasadena, versus how many work in Hermosa. "A lot of us work and want to work because it's pretty normal in Pasadena," Arroyo said.

"If I lived at the beach, though, wanting to work would probably be a different story," Owen acknowledged.

Hermosa Beach resident Jeremy Niles, a junior at RUHS, said he didn't consider getting a job until his wrestling team's summer program was canceled. Faced with free time, he got a job promoting Los Muchachos restaurant on Pier Avenue for easy pocket money.

"Because I'm not wrestling this summer, I needed to find something to do with my spare time besides sit around the house," said Niles, 17. "I could have easily asked my dad for money, and he would have given it to me but I don't feel right doing that." 

Landay said Niles' decision demonstrates how employment can give teenagers a sense of purpose.

"The jobs they do end up with, though, seem mundane to them but they're given the ability to socially interact and connect with their surroundings in a positive light," he said.