Finding a summer job is a “work in progress” for 16-year-old Isabelle Kiefer.
The rising junior at Tulsa’s Holland Hall has applied to 23 jobs since April, but she’s only interviewed for one as of June. Despite years of volunteer experience, Kiefer hasn’t found luck across the county for jobs paying between minimum wage and $11 an hour.
“Most of the time, they just ghost me,” Kiefer said. “Honestly, they either just don’t reach back out when it’s been like three or four weeks, or I get one of those automated email responses.”
She isn’t alone. This summer is expected to be one of the worst job markets in decades for teens across the United States. While there are still traditional entry-level summer jobs in Tulsa — like camp counseling and lifeguarding — residents say they’ve become harder to secure.
“I have some of the most hardworking friends, and it’s so sad to see that they’re practically begging for any job whatsoever,” Kiefer said. “They’re just getting no response and people would rather favor someone who’s already an adult.”
Kiefer hopes a summer job will help her learn more independence, take the rising cost of gas off her family’s plate and allow her to save for college in two years. A survey released Wednesday by the State Chamber of Commerce shows many Oklahomans agree.
The state chamber sent the survey to 421 Oklahomans. Nearly all respondents said access to part-time or summer jobs is very or somewhat important for teens — and that employment helps build important skills like problem solving and responsibility. More than half said teens benefit from more entry-level jobs.
Caleb Klugh hoped to hire 28 young people this summer for seasonal jobs at the City of Tulsa’s camps and pools.
The recreation park manager filled four pool cashier positions for the summer from a dozen applicants and 16 lifeguards from around 25 applicants. The biggest challenges come from scheduling conflicts and the training requirements — particularly for lifeguarding, which mandates a rigorous swim test.
“I feel like overall there are a good number of summer jobs available,” Klugh said. “I don’t think there’s ever going to be, you know, as many jobs available as there are young people to fill them.”
According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released this month, 219,000 fewer Americans ages 16 to 19 were employed heading into the summer compared to last May. Overall, teen participation in the national labor force continues to decline. About a third of teens were counted as working or looking for work in May.
“At this point, (we need) just more entry level jobs,” said 22-year-old D.K. Jackson, a summer camp counselor with the City of Tulsa.
Jackson’s city job at north Tulsa’s Lacy Park is his second since graduating high school and heading to Langston University. His first job, at Schlotzsky’s inside the Tulsa International Airport, was only available because he knew someone employed there.
Access varies across the city. In north Tulsa, opportunities for teen jobs are miniscule, according to Reubin McIntosh, education liaison for The Salvation Army. There are a few gas stations, fast food restaurants or seasonal roles in the area that hire teens.
“Typically, it is limited,” McIntosh said. “It’s limited to whether you know someone and can help out, such as in a home daycare.”
Another Lacy Park counselor, 19-year-old LaTeria Stokes, has had spotty luck finding jobs in and around north Tulsa.
Stokes started working at 15, getting a job at Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park. She left in January 2025 and went six months without employment until summer camp counseling opened up at Lacy Park. After summer, she went another several months without a job.
“They be like, ‘you need experience,’ but then you can’t get the job to get the experience,” Stokes said.
Seasonal demands helped her get hired in December at the Adidas outlet in Jenks and a second summer at Lacy.
The counselors and Kiefer say employers need to be more open to hiring young workers — not just during the summer, but throughout the year.
“People are scared of newer generations going into the workforce, and I think they shouldn’t be,” Kiefer said. “Even if you are scared of that — they won’t know what they’re doing or they won’t have the experience — how else do you want them to learn, if not giving them experience?”
News decisions at the Tulsa Flyer are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
