Two words: MINIMUM WAGE
My teenage son has been trying to get a job well over a year to no avail. He says he would be willing to work for $5 an hour but instead he stuck.
It is actually wearing him out. It is becoming difficult for him as he thinks “why bother trying the answer is going to be no anyway”.
Milton Friedman saw the writing on the wall years ago with this minimum wage. He was right and now our children suffer. Companies can nolonger afford to create entry level positions.
What I have done with my son is this:
there has been no work for the young in my area. So I needed a tileing job, painting jobs and a bricking job done. Big ones. I bought him the tools for the jobs and he learned all the trades. So at 17 he tiles, paints and bricks. My work comes first.
He has all the work he wants.