California teens desperate for summer work see twice as much unemployment

California teenagers looking for a job this summer may be out of luck — and with dimmer work prospects than teens in other states.

The Employment Policies Institute released data Friday showing that Golden State teens faced a staggering 23.3% unemployment rate in April, double the national average of 13.3% for children ages 16 to 19.

California also led the nation in teen unemployment for the second straight year, according to the institute, which calculated rolling 12-month average unemployment rates across the country using census data.

The teen unemployment rate ticked up slightly from last year, when it was at 21%.

This summer was already expected to be the worst on record for teen hiring nationally, according to Andy Challenger, chief revenue officer at consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. It reflects a broader trend of a slow U.S. job market for all ages with little hiring and firing, he told CNN. Inflation also plays a role.

“When margins tighten, summer hirers will wait for demand to dictate hiring,” Challenger said.

Those issues have been exacerbated by California’s tough business environment, particularly through its $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers or a Los Angeles push in Los Angeles for $30-per-hour pay for hotel workers, the institute said.

“This data shouldn’t come as a surprise,” the institute said in a blog post. “Experts on the economics of minimum wage hikes have found the rising costs of these policies force employers to reduce staffing levels or hire workers with more experience, limiting job opportunities for entry-level teens looking to get a summer job.”

Business owners in the state are already upset the push for higher minimum wages, saying it could disrupt job availability.

Dr. Jackie Filla, CEO of the Hotel Association of Los Angeles, said she “fully expects things could get worse” for the industry come 2028 when the minimum wage in the city for hotel workers hits $30 per hour.

“We’re very concerned that there are hotels that won’t make it,” Filla told The California Post.

Other states with teen unemployment rates nearly as high as California’s include Delaware, Illinois and Nevada.

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