Thu, Nov 26 2009
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Youths try to offset high gas prices Area youths carpooling, working longer shifts to offset gasoline prices By Marcia MooreThe Daily Item Depending on the type of job, some Knoebels workers are allowed to work longer or double shifts.
High gasoline prices mean Knoebels, more than in previous years, is employing people who live near the park, McDonald said. "It wouldn't be worth their time or money, unless they're carpooling," she said. While the high cost of fuel is a factor in job options, and unemployment in the Valley is up from 4.5 percent in April 2007 to 5.4 percent in April 2008, area teens aren't facing the troubling trend many other youths across the country are experiencing. According to a study published by the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston, employers are cutting back on seasonal jobs or giving those positions to retirees and college students who need the extra income. As a result, only about one-third of Americans aged 16 to 19 will have a job this summer. It's a marked decline from the 45 percent of teens employed in the summer of 2000. Jessica Poff, 20, of Sunbury, said some youths are just not motivated to work. An assistant manager at Liberty Splashland in Northumberland who has worked at the pool for seven consecutive years, Poff said the pool has a shortage of lifeguards as it prepares to open for the season Thursday. "We've never had a problem (hiring) before," Poff said. "I don't know why. It's an easy and fun job. Everyone that works here is 21 and under." There are about 20 lifeguards on staff and about seven more are needed. Young people have an array of employment opportunities beyond fast-food restaurants and retail, Poff said. "There are lots of jobs," Poff said. "People need their grass mowed or help landscaping. People have to go out and look for some of these jobs, but they're out there. Some people are just lazy." Amanda Mabus said she worked several odd jobs that paid below minimum wage. Now she works at the Shamokin Dam Long John Silver's restaurant and still struggles to keep up with her bills. Most of her peers are sharing car rides to save money or getting lifts from parents and friends, the 19-year-old Snydertown resident said. Mabus said the restaurant managers allow for flexible hours and she tries to work longer shifts, but fuel costs are still having an affect on her bank account. 
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