Summer is fast approaching, and students are looking for something to do over summer vacation. What better way to spend their spare time than to get a summer job?

Many sophomores are looking for summer jobs, but they just cannot seem to get hired anywhere.

According to the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget, said teen unemployment rate is currently at 17.2 percent, which is three percent lower than summer 2014.

The high teen unemployment rate has been a problem for sophomore Rebecca Kinard.

She is 16 and has applied to over 10 places. Many of those places were fast-food chains.

Kinard filled out applications repeatedly and has called businesses she has applied to every so often, hoping to land an interview.

She has received one interview, but the employer did not call her back after the interview.

“I feel really bad about trying so hard to get a  job and coming up short every time,” Kinard said.

Kinard believes the reason why she has not been hired anywhere is because she cannot drive yet.

“Just because I am 16 does not mean I cannot work hard,” Kinard said.

However, there are many students who have jobs currently without having cars or licenses, such as senior Adrianna Ruiz.

“If you show that you can be a reliable worker with the right skills, then they will hire you whether you have a car or not,” Ruiz said.

Sophomore Nicholas Hartwick has applied to a few places, but he believes he has not received an interview because he is not yet 16.

Lack of work experience, age, and car issues are all factors that will impact the teen unemployment rate this summer.

There is hope, though. Sophomore Michael Parker has a job at J and C Improvement in Burton.

“I feel that having a summer job is good experience to have for a future career,” Parker said. “I feel like there needs to be more opportunities for students, and it is terrible that there is not.”

Underclassmen can apply to many fast-food restaurants for summer help. Halo Burger, Arby’s, and McDonald’s are a few examples.

Even though the teen unemployment is in the double digits, it is in a decline from an all-time high in 2010 of 35 percent.

“I feel as though the decline has not really affected me,” Kinard said. “I will keep trying though and, hopefully, I will get a job by the start of junior year.”

The image for this story can be found on flickr.