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Jobless students finding they might be forced to stay that way

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Photo by Terry Mayer

Ryan Melson of Harvard, Ill., helps to get food ready for an outdoor banquet recently at The Abbey Resort in Fontana. This is Melson’s third summer working at the Abbey. Officials say young people are facing increased competition for jobs this summer because of high unemployment and a weak economy.

Abby Godonis of Richmond, Ill., works Wednesday at the front desk of The Abbey Resort in Fontana. This is her first summer working at the resort. Terry Mayer/staff.

DELAVAN — In a weak economy that has many adults struggling to make ends meet, students who aren’t already working are being squeezed out of the summer job market.

Cautious employers remain reluctant to hire, in part, because of an increase in the minimum wage, and older workers are staying in jobs longer or seeking jobs that typically went to young people, employment officials said.

“We have so many people who are unemployed or are running out of unemployment compensation, so you have a lot of older people applying for jobs that traditionally went to younger people, like in park service,” said Bob Borremans, executive director of the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board. “The overall job market is difficult right now, and younger people are facing more competition.”

Unemployment remains high in southern Wisconsin, although the latest numbers show improvement. In April, Rock County’s unemployment rate was 11 percent, down from 12.8 percent the previous month. Walworth County’s rate dropped from 10.8 percent to 8.7 percent. Beloit had the worst jobless rate in the state at 16.8 percent, down from 18.3 percent. Janesville’s rate dropped 1.7 percent to 11.3 percent, the sixth-worst in the state.

Stimulus funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided a respite of sorts during 2009, Borremans said, but that money isn’t available this summer.

“We were able to find work for about 150 people last summer with the ARRA funds, which isn’t a lot but it’s more than probably the last 10 years,” Borremans said of the $500,000 six-county grant. “So the eight-week program was very successful."

Read the full story in the June 20, 2010 e-edition of Walworth County Sunday, HERE.