“We know that kids are also seeing opportunities at Target and Aldi, so we are trying to, where we can, be ahead of the curve,” Michel Tigan said of pay.
The YMCA is meeting teens where they are — on their phones, she said. The organization posts job positions on Indeed and other websites, in addition to connecting with high schools and Minneapolis Public Schools Community Education.
Emelia Tigan, right, 18, works with Kate Anderson, 19, in the kitchen at Camp St. Croix in Hudson, Wis. While there has been more competition in retail jobs this summer for teens, summer camps offer good opportunities. (Leila Navidi/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
YMCA is not the only group still hiring.
Teens often enter and exit the labor force throughout the year, which naturally leads to higher unemployment rates, Casale said. And summer hiring is still underway.
“There are still lots of opportunities for teens out there,” she said. “They might just need to be a little more creative about where they’re looking for employment.”
Emelia Tigan, right, 18, brings boxes of chips out from the kitchen storage area for lunch with co-worker Kate Anderson, 19, at Camp St. Croix in Hudson, Wis. (Leila Navidi/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Casale said her 14-year-old son is planning to work at the Minnesota State Fair, where there are still plenty of openings.