Jobs For Houston Teens Have Not Cooled Down Despite Economic Downturn

National poll shows Houston teens fair better than their counterparts

HOUSTON, May 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- While the rest of the country is
experiencing declines in employment, Houston retained an upper trend in 2008
for job growth with an increase of 57,300 jobs based on a report from the
Houston Business Journal. Similarly, the trend is positive for Houston teens
too. Just 18% of Houston teens feel there are fewer jobs available versus 33%
of teens in the rest of the nation reported in findings from the March 2009
Junior Achievement and The Allstate Foundation, Teens and Personal Finance
Poll. Only 4% of Houston's teens said they had lost a job because of the
economy.

As young people are competing with older workers for employment, the recent
stimulus package passed by Congress has created over four thousand job
opportunities in Houston for the summer. According to the City of Houston
they are providing 340 job opportunities for the city's youth. "These entry
level jobs will enable young people, ages 14-24, to build their resumes and
create a networking opportunity for when they are ready for full time
employment," said Rick Franke, president of Junior Achievement of Southeast
Texas. "With 59% of the city's youth feeling well-prepared for the job market
according the poll results, these positions could go quickly."

Rick Franke also commented, "It is more important than ever for teens to
conduct their summer job search in a way that will help them land a job in a
tight market, such as presenting themselves in a professional manner, and
following up diligently on job leads. Junior Achievement programs encourage
teens to use skills such as critical thinking and teamwork which will help
them stand out at a summer job, and compete in the workforce when they embark
upon their careers."

The 2009 Teens and Personal Finance poll was conducted by Opinion Research
Corporation the week of February 23, 2009, and surveyed 1,000 U.S. teens ages
12-17 via telephone. Its margin of error is +/- 3.2 percent. The data for the
Houston area was generated by using an online poll on March 1 - 12, 2009.
While not as scientifically accurate as the national poll, the Houston results
provide anecdotal evidence of how 500 Houston area teens feel about the
economy and personal finance compared to a national scientific sample.

SOURCE Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas

Debbi Elliott Griffith, +1-713-682-4500 x232, dgriffith@jahouston.org