Summer jobs

While the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston expects this summer to be the worst job market for teens in 60 years, the outlook for Maine’s young ‘uns is a promising one—at least according to this morning’s Portland Press Herald.

Seasonal employers remain a key component in providing teens with valuable work experiences. Some are a bit skittish about adding a rash of summer help, while gauging whether gas will put a crimp in the summer tourist onslaught. However, if Memorial Day is any indication, Maine’s tourist season will once again be more affected by summer weather, than the prices at the pump.

While many summer jobs aren’t glamorous, or even lucrative, they do provide our future workforce with its first formative experiences within the world of work.

All of us have our own stories about that summer spent painting houses, or bussing tables of food scraps left by summer visitors. In fact, one Maine author has achieved a certain measure of fame, writing about his experiences with summer employment.

[Staff photo by Shawn Patrick Ouellette; Portland Press Herald]