Summer jobs harder to find

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With Blair County's unemployment rate at 7.3 percent - its highest since October 1993 - its tough to find a summer job.

"Our applications are up at least double what we usually receive," said Mike Hofer, director of the Central Blair Recreation and Park Commission, which usually hires 30 to 35 young people to fill summer positions. "It is the economy - the jobs just aren't there like in the past."

Hofer said adults have been applying for maintenance jobs.

"We only hire one or two for the summer, but we have over 30 applications," Hofer said. "Women also are applying for these jobs, and that is extremely unusual."

Local amusement parks have received many more applications than usual.

"I have a huge stack of applications. It would take me a while to count them all. I probably have about 300," said Lakemont Park operations manager Bob Larson, who already has filled about 230 summer positions.

The same is true at DelGrosso's Amusement Park in Tipton.

"We have had more applicants than we have had in the last four or five years and we are still getting them. We probably have had about a 20 to 25 percent increase in applicants," said Carl Crider Jr., general manager.

He said the park hires more than 500 young people for the summer, but noted out-of-work adults aren't taking jobs away from young people.

"The reason we don't get a lot of adults is because we are a seasonal employer and can pay a sub-minimum wage," Crider said.

The Hollidaysburg Area YMCA received two applications for every opening it had for work in its summer camps. Laurie Smith, human resources director, said she received a large number of applications from college students.

"Kids are scrambling. Some of them have graduated and can't get jobs. We've had some real good applications," said Smith. "We got over 30 applications and have already filled those [15] positions."

Martin's Food Market on Chestnut Avenue recently added 15 new part-time associates.

A lot of them are high school students.

"We don't just hire for the summer. They could be long-term positions," said spokeswoman Tracy Pawelski. "We are pretty much at full capacity in all Altoona stores."

J.B. Tree Farm in Alexandria usually hires about 16 high school students to trim trees during the summer. Co-owner Evelyn Bookhammer said there have been a lot of calls, and they started earlier than usual.

"There may be higher interest this summer," said Bookhammer. "We usually don't hire adults, but adults may apply. The work is more suited to younger people."

Those certified as lifeguards may have an easier time than others finding jobs. Lifeguard positions still are available at several locations.

LeeAnn Aurandt, aquatics director at the Hollidaysburg Area YMCA, said Blue Knob State Park contacted her to see if she had any extra lifeguards.

"We have hired 13 new lifeguards and we could use some more," said Aurandt.

The Y has two indoor pools and runs the pools at The Blairmont Club and Bellwood-Antis Community Park.

Hofer said he also could use more certified lifeguards for the two pools in Altoona - Prospect and Memorial.

The YMCA will offer two sets of lifeguard certification classes - Saturday to May 27 at the Y and Bellwood-Antis Community Pool and June 1 to 7 at the Bellwood pool. Cost is $200 for Y members and $250 for nonmembers.

"It is a great job for someone out of the work force," Aurandt said. "These jobs could feed into the fall and winter at the YMCA with our indoor pools."

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 946-7467.

Member Comments

View Comments: | 1-17 | Post a comment

ShakenNotStirred
05-12-09 3:27 PM »Report Abuse	Correction, I meant to type 7.7% percent, not 7%.
ShakenNotStirred
05-12-09 3:26 PM »Report Abuse	Danny, Unemployment in Blair County fluctuated between 4 and 6% under George Jr. When George handed the keys to Obama in January, Blair Counties unemployment rate was at 7.6%. It had been 6.4% in December of last year. So unless the data I have in front of me is inaccurate, The 7.3% Unemployment in Blair County is actually down a few points from what it was January through March of this year (Feb and March it was at 7%).
moodie
05-12-09 2:46 AM »Report Abuse	WELL THE HIGHER UPS NEED TO LOOK FOR SOME COMPANYS TO MOVE IN AROUND HERE! I DONT'T SEE MUCH GOING ON IN THAT DEPARTMENT! WELL YOU GET YOUR BS IS SELLING DRUGS!
dannyglas
05-11-09 10:26 PM »Report Abuse	What was it under Bush Jr.?
ShakenNotStirred
05-11-09 8:42 PM »Report Abuse	Hey mocus, Unemployment in Blair County went down from 1993 to 2000. Guess who was President? Yup, Bill Clinton. Guess what the unemployment rate was the last 2 years of George Bush Sr's presidency? 9%
KlausVR
05-11-09 8:14 PM »Report Abuse	mucus ... you would be hilarious if only you weren't serious.
mocus1
05-11-09 3:02 PM »Report Abuse	hey AJ, I guess the high unemployment rate under Bill Clinton was George Bush Sr.'s fault right? I'm just trying to think like a liberal....illogical, irrational, no factual basis, no historical understanding, nothing. Just goosestepping to the Democrat talking points that get faxed to 90% of news organizations every morning. Democrat good, Republican bad. Liberal good, conservative bad. Government good, corporations bad. Food good, fire bad. You know, that kind of rational thought.
mocus1
05-11-09 2:59 PM »Report Abuse	"With Blair County's unemployment rate at 7.3 percent - its highest since October 1993 - its tough to find a summer job." So the Blair unemployment rate is at it's highest since Democrat Bill Clinton was President, another hero of the Left? Why we were told by liberals and the media that the economy under Bush was much worse than Democrat economies. Guess they lied about THAT too. If they're lips are moving, they're lying. Get used to it. Why just last week, MSNBC was braying that the economy is getting better because Obama went out for a burger at lunch. That's what happens when you have a left wing media who are lapdogs, not watch dogs.
mocus1
05-11-09 2:55 PM »Report Abuse	AJ, the Democrats have controlled Congress since 2006, and now have a filibuster proof majority. What are they doing that's improving the economic picture in Blair Co? Nothing? That's what we thought. Their "stimulus" was not a stimulus, it was welfare for Demobums like you. According to you, when Republicans were in charge, Republicans are responsible for what goes wrong. And when Democrats are in charge Republicans are still responsible to what goes wrong. That's a sign of an immature, narcissistic individual who can't take responsibility for their actions, in other words, a bonafide liberal baby.
mocus1
05-11-09 2:51 PM »Report Abuse	"the jobs aren't there like in the past"....funny, the Democrats said the Bush economy was a disaster, but Obama will reverse all Bush's policies and "get the economy back track". Haven't seen anything yet but a worse eoconomy,have we folks? AJ is rational enough to understand that in 2 years, he, she or it will STILL be saying that we need to give Obama more time to fix things. AJ, your Bush blaming is getting old and moldy, just like your contention that government "fixes the economy"......government has destroyed a lot of economies, but it's hard to point out an example of where they "fixed" one.
KlausVR
05-11-09 12:36 PM »Report Abuse	OOOPS ... laying off?
KlausVR
05-11-09 12:35 PM »Report Abuse	lambs ... please join us in the present ... "Conrail" is hiring?
lambs1
05-11-09 12:02 PM »Report Abuse	Danny, Conrail just laid off, can't remember how many though.
dannyglas
05-11-09 11:58 AM »Report Abuse	brutis: Totally agree with you. Seems like the best jobs in Altoona are UPS, Post Office, and Veeder Root. I was there in December and was told the RR was hiring??
brutis
05-11-09 11:26 AM »Report Abuse	It was slim pickings here any way. The reality is there's no future in Blair County, or Pa. I hear of a retirement community, but who can afford to retire now? And with what retirement funds? Most 401's and IRA's, were wiped out over the past two years. It has now gotten to where legitimate occupations are not attractive.
AJ17057
05-11-09 10:07 AM »Report Abuse	The Repukes were in control 8 years, you can't fix that in 115 days, even you are rational enough to understand that, correct?
lambs1
05-11-09 8:40 AM »Report Abuse	But Blare said BO was 'tackling' all these problems at record pace!

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