Summer job market tough this year

Youngest workers find employment harder to come by during the recession It’s no secret that this summer students on the hunt for a summer job have had a tough time. Given the recession, there are fewer jobs to go around. And, with adults struggling in the labor market, many working multiple jobs to maintain their households, there’s been even less opportunity for the summer worker. High school and college students looking for pocket cash have been hit hard. Not every eager young would-be worker has found employment. According to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, unemployment in New Jersey rose to 9.2 percent in the month of June. So, where does this leave the students who rely on summer jobs to pay their car insurance, fund their pastimes and feather their tuition nests? In Sussex County, rich with lake communities and golf courses, recreational jobs can be the answer. Annie Montero found a job as a lifeguard at Highland Lakes. “I was fortunate that once I took the lifeguarding course, they hired me,” said the Vernon Township High School student. Ryan Molloy, a recent Vernon High graduate, needed to go on the offensive to obtain his position as a range kid at the Black Bear Golf Club in Franklin. “My friend said that they were looking for help so I went over to talk to the boss and luckily got a job,” he said. Luck does play a part, but so does hard work. Knocking on doors. Ryan Nelson from Vernon attends college in Rochester, N.Y., and found a job this summer as a maintenance worker with the Franklin School system. The money he’s making this summer puts his at ease about funding his college costs next semester, he said. But many young people have reported that despite their best efforts, they’ve been unable to land a job this summer. That means cutting back on spending. That’s something David Dasalla, a part-time student at Sussex County Community College is keenly aware of. He works at a local restaurant. “Although I’m making ends meet, some of my friends are struggling to pay bills,” Dasalla said. Students have an array of expenses that they incur over the course of a summer including various debts. “I’m using the money that I earn to pay my parents back for the truck I bought from my dad,” said Molloy, who works at the golf club. Others impose a different system of money management. “I usually put half in the bank and take half out for spending money,” said Montero, the lifeguard. One of the best things about her job is the flexible schedule. She’s able to work and yet not surrender the freedom of summer. “I pick up hours from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., anywhere in that range,” she said. “It’s good because I don’t have to wake up really early and I still have the night to go out or do something.” For a high school student, that’s having the best of both worlds. — Reporting by Kelly Burke and Matt Sandler