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05/25/2020

Summer Jobs for Teens are Scarce Right Now

But a little boredom has its benefits

First, there was the Spring of Rebellion, when teens chafed at their parents’ demands to stay home as the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic descended. Next came sullen acceptance, followed by weeks filled with virtual non-learning and video games.

Now millions of American high school and college students have arrived at the Summer of Nothing, a landscape of scuttled internships, summer camps and travel plans that might have been résumé gilders — or at least something to do. A summer in which paid jobs are scarcer than a Stanford admission and require something almost as tough to obtain: parental permission.

Ryan Amarillas, a 17-year-old who lives in Northern Virginia, had cleared the first hurdle when a friend recommended him for a gig at his local Harris Teeter grocery store. His escape from quarantine was near; the outgoing junior from Falls Church could see it. He’d shine at customer service, goof off with his buddies on breaks and before long buy the Ford F150 truck of his dreams. But Ryan couldn’t persuade his parents, who said a job wasn’t worth risking the life of his grandmother, who lives with them.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.

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