Teens With Disabilities Struggle for Summer Jobs as 1948-Era Hiring Data Show Weakest Market
Updated
Updated · FOX 17 West Michigan News · Jun 16
Teens With Disabilities Struggle for Summer Jobs as 1948-Era Hiring Data Show Weakest Market
1 articles · Updated · FOX 17 West Michigan News · Jun 16
Summary
16-year-old Cale Peters, a Michigan teen with Down syndrome, has been turned down or ignored after applying to restaurants and ice cream shops for his first summer job.
Last summer was the weakest teen hiring market since 1948, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data analyzed by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, making an already difficult search even harder for disabled applicants.
Disability advocates say that first job is especially important for teens with developmental disabilities because it shapes later work experience, yet employers often lack understanding of needed accommodations.
Be Cafe in Ada and Disability Advocates of Kent County are trying to widen access through jobs, training and community-employment support as families keep searching for openings.