Almost two months after the start of summer break, students across Indiana and the U.S. who are still looking for seasonal jobs are having difficulties finding with few hirings and a slow rebounding economy.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the participation of people age 16 through 24 rate was the lowest since 1955, with only 63 percent in its peak month, July. Although there was an increase in youth employment - an increase of 1.6 million - it was lower than last year's growth.
In Indiana, although there is a growth in the number of jobs created, there are more challenges for the younger workers seeking jobs this summer, Marc Lotter, director of communications for the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, said.
"Showing growth five months in a row is encouraging for the state," he said. "We are still a long way to get to where we were, but the fact that we are leading the nation is a good sign. There has been a 10 percent of job growth private sector just in Indiana, while we are only 2 percent of the U.S. population."
At Ball State University there are still some opportunities to get a job, even during in the middle of the summer.
Larry Beck, associate director of the career center, said Ball State usually hires almost 1,000 students in the summer, although the majority of the applications and interviews are expected to be done during the spring. The university saw a decrease in the number of positions offered because of the increase in minimum wage last year.
Students can look for jobs on campus through Cardinal ViewJobs. The advantage for Ball State students is that they don't have to be enrolled in the summer to get a job on campus and there is no limit to the number of hours students have to work, Beck said.
"Several departments on campus will pick students to work during the summer," he said. "Residence and housing will have some students help painting and maintaining the dorms, they are offering orientation positions and grounds crews also recruit students for the summer."
During the summer, students can train to become a shuttle driver in the school year. Gary Moses, supervisor of bus operations on campus, said the number of students interested in operating one of the 14 shuttles on campus has gradually gone up since the program started six years ago.
This year there will be about 20 students driving shuttles in the school year, six more than the year before.
To become a shuttle driver, the department of bus operations looks for students who are committed, who have the ability to drive and have a good worker aspect, Moses said. The training lasts a month, in which students are paid minimum wage. Once they start working, the wage goes up to $9 per hour.
"It's a really good opportunity for them to get these skills and a commercial driver's license, and they also understand the need of passengers in fellow students. It's really a benefit for students all around."
Although some jobs on campus are easy to find, like the shuttle driver position because of their advertisements, there are other jobs that are preferred by students and are harder to come by.
One of these jobs is being a computer lab assistant, senior geography major Kory Robinzine said.
For Robinzine, it's not the first summer working in this position. He found the opportunity to work as a lab assistant in his sophomore year, after working in food services his first year.
"I left food services because there was no flexibility when it came to classes and exams," he said. "Being a lab assistant I can work around my academic schedule."
The university also offers internships on campus and a database that helps students find jobs and internships outside Ball State. Cardinal Career Link lists off-campus opportunities in the Muncie and Delaware area.
Although the unemployment rate in Indiana has been going down in the last few months, it may still be a struggle for high school and college students who are looking for a temporary job and competing with experienced workers, Beck said.
"The big thing to do is to keep in touch with all posting cited. If [students] know of particular places they would like to work in, they have to start applying in the spring. Using contacts and friends that have connections will also help them find a job easier."
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