200 Youths Still Seeking Work
Two hundred District teenagers who have signed up for the city's summer jobs program but still have no jobs will be available for hire at half-day and daily rates under a new Washington Urban League program.</br></br>Organizers at the league say they hope to help the youths, ages 14 and 15, find work with homeowners, small businesses, retail merchants and offices with occasional jobs that would require a few hours' work and could be done by unskilled youths.</br></br>The program, called "Hire a Teen" is open only to youths from Ward 1 and Ward 8, the wards with the highest unemployment rate among youths.</br></br>People can call the league with a job, and it will find a teenager to do it. Teens will be screened by the league, sign a work agreement with the league and be available for a minimum of four hours at $4.25 an hour, to be paid by the employer.</br></br>Jobs could include painting, window washing, sidewalk cleanup and stock inventory. Homeowners could use the youths for errands or yard work or household chores, said Jim Zais, manager of the program.