Allison Wroe, a Rhode Island College student, last year worked two summer jobs, at an ice cream shop and a Starbucks, to make ends meet.

The Journal / Andrew Dickerman

The outlook is dark and dreary for summer jobs this year, particularly for teenagers.

It’s hard to wring much cheer from the title of a report released last month by the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston: “The Continued Collapse of the Nation’s Teen Job Market and the Dismal Outlook for the 2008 Summer Labor Market for Teens.”

Joseph McLaughlin, a research associate at the center and one of the authors of the report, said teen employment figures from last year, 34.5 percent among teens from 16 to 19, were the worst since World War II. This summer’s prospects, he said, are even worse.

When times get tough, he said, employers concentrate on keeping the staff they have, and don’t have the resources for seasonal hiring. To make matters worse, more teens are likely to be looking for work this summer as family budgets are stretched by high prices for food and gas. According to the Wall Street Journal, a Junior Achievement annual survey shows a 22-percent increase in the share of teenagers who want to work this summer.

But some of them are likely to be disappointed. A Web site called SnagAJob.com, which specializes in hourly wage jobs, conducted a national survey of 1,101 hiring managers. Almost half, 49 percent, reported they did not plan to hire any seasonal employees this year, citing reduced hiring budgets and the uncertain economy.

In Rhode Island, where the unemployment rate is 6.1 percent, compared to the national rate of 5.1 percent, there’s not much optimism to be found about finding summer jobs.

“It’s bleak,” said Paul DeRoche, executive director of the Rhode Island Retail Federation. “Retailers are not in any hiring mode right now. They’re being very conservative, just trying to get through the summer and into the fall without hiring any high schoolers or part-timers.”

Teny Gross, executive director of the Institute for the Study & Practice of Non-Violence, said his organization provided more than 60 summer jobs for Providence teens last summer. This year, he said, finding jobs for his clients has been difficult — at a time when they need them more than ever. “The other night I had a conversation with one of my streetworkers, saying people are desperate for jobs,” Gross said.

He said the institute’s goal is to find between 60 and 70 jobs this year. In a better economic climate, he said, he would try for 100, and he could use between 300 and 400. But he said he knows that’s not likely to happen this summer. “Employers are all reporting tighter budgets. There’s a tightening of the belt for the nonprofits, too.… Some employers are telling us ‘We’re laying off people,’ ” Gross said.

Gross said a summer job can make an enormous difference in a teenager’s life, particularly for young people whose families might be struggling. “There are middle-class kids who can either get an internship, or travel, or get a job,” he said, adding that they can afford the luxury of choice. But there are many teens who are not as fortunate, he said.

Gross praised the state Department of Labor & Training, which established a new youth work-force development system last year, with seven youth centers around the state. “We’re creating a more concentrated effort to connect young people to work, and we’re collaborating with employers to identify work experience for youth,” said Sandra Powell, director of the Department of Labor and Training.

Powell said the anecdotal evidence she is hearing is that it is harder for teens to get jobs, with many companies taking a “wait-and-see” attitude, holding off on doing any hiring until they see which way business is going.

One area where summer workers may find opportunities this year is in the tourism and hospitality industry, particularly in Newport and Block Island. Because of an impasse over immigration in Congress, hundreds of foreign workers who had worked in hotels and restaurants in Rhode Island will not be available this year.

Tomorrow, the Newport County Chamber of Commerce and the Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association will sponsor a “Summer Seasonal Employment Fair” for people seeking summer employment. The fair will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Newport Campus of the Community College of Rhode Island. For information, call (401) 847-1600 or go online to www.newportchamber.comTips to job seekers

•Make your resumé as strong as possible, and proofread it carefully so there are no spelling or grammar mistakes.

•Tailor the resumé to the job you’re seeking, emphasizing related experience.

•Look for jobs in places where you like to shop or hang out.

•Network with friends and family, who can introduce you to possible employers.

•Make a good first impression by being on time, dressing appropriately.

•Read up on the company on the Internet before your interview.

• Consider internships. Even if they’re unpaid, they can provide valuable work experience.

Associated Press

asmith@projo.com