This summer’s employees of the month might be younger than expected.
Hampton Roads teenagers are poised to earn more money at summer gigs thanks to the new, higher minimum wage in Virginia and a shortfall of workers that’s causing many businesses to scramble for help.
And, more teens are getting jobs than in the past.
“You find that unemployment rate among teenage workers has gone down like crazy,” said Vinod Agarwal, a professor of economics at Old Dominion University.
The civilian labor force participation rate of 16- to 19-year-olds was highest in May at 36.8% than the same month in any other year for the past decade, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Agarwal said it’s significant that the teen unemployment rate has fallen below 10%. At 9.9% in June, the unemployment rate for 16- to 19-year-olds was less than half what it was at the same time last year and down 1.5 percentage points from June 2019.
Minimum wage boost
The minimum wage boost has been a reward for Zoe Zmuda, 16, who has worked at Jungle Golf at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront since last summer.
“I was making the $7.25 minimum wage before,” she said, “so it was a little bit of a shock for me to see the first paycheck because it was higher.”
Virginia’s new minimum wage of $9.50 an hour took effect May 1. Based on legislation passed last year, it will rise to $11 an hour Jan. 1 and to $12 an hour in 2023. Then if approved by lawmakers, it will eventually increase to $13.50 per hour in 2025 and $15 an hour in 2026.
The pay raise has made things tighter at Jungle Golf, though the hiring process as a whole was relatively easy this year.
General Manager Rachel Cook says she’s fortunate because a lot of the mini golf employees return year after year or hear about the job through someone who works there.
Sean Holmgren, 18, has worked at Jungle Golf for two years and is now a manager. With the promotion, his wages were already $9.50. He also recruited a friend to work with him.
“I do like the vibe here,” he said. “Everyone’s really nice. It’s a very safe workplace. I feel comfortable here.”
Speedier hiring process
Ryan Harris, 16, started his search on Google: “Jobs near me.” One weekend he applied to the Foot Locker in MacArthur Center in Norfolk, and within a couple hours he had an interview set up for later that week.
“I wasn’t expecting them to call back so quickly,” he said.
It was a double interview process, he said, and only minutes passed between the two rounds. Three hours later, Harris got a call with the job offer.
Harris earns minimum wage in his first official paid position. An athlete and sports fan, he wanted to work a job he’s interested in, and it gives him something to do over the summer.
“There’s no reason to just like miss out on an opportunity to make a little extra money and use it for things like a car,” he said.
Driving is a common expense that teens hope to fund with their summer jobs. Eighteen-year-old Kayla Stadler has several friends who use their earnings for gas and car insurance.
Stadler is paying her way through classes at Tidewater Community College. She makes $11 an hour plus tips as pool concierge at The Cavalier Hotel Beach Club, doing tasks like bringing guests cold towels and frozen sorbet.
“Especially with this company, you can climb up and it prepares you for a, quote unquote, ‘real world job,'” Stadler said. “It gives you insight to build a resume and have experience in a lot of different roles.”
Additional hiring incentives
For many businesses trying to bounce back from the pandemic lull, the supply of workers is not keeping up with consumers’ pent-up demand.
Busch Gardens near Williamsburg implemented sign-on bonuses this season, like it has done in the past, ranging from $100 to $1,000, depending on the position. Starting wages can be $13 or $15.50 an hour, higher than in the past. For the first time in several years, the amusement park is hiring 15-year-olds.
“We definitely ramped up our recruiting and advertising efforts,” Park President Kevin Lembke said.
Lembke said the teen workers are a key demographic, especially in the summer months when school is out. He hopes they can stay on year-round.
At Jungle Golf, Cook did not offer signing bonuses, but she has arranged things like gas cards and free food for employees on Fourth of July weekend and trades for access passes with other local companies like Ocean Breeze Waterpark and iFly.
Cook said her heart goes out to people still struggling to find workers, but hopes it clues them in to the “hidden gem that is teenagers.” She takes pride in being many teenagers’ first employer.
“A lot of times, they’re dismissed, and they’re thought to be lazy or entitled,” she said. “They’re not.”
Elizabeth Moore, (757) 247-4517, elizabeth.moore@virginiamedia.com
