{"id":1262,"date":"2026-06-12T11:33:34","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T11:33:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=1262"},"modified":"2026-06-12T11:33:34","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T11:33:34","slug":"worst-summer-hiring-season-for-teens-not-for-hawaii-restaurants-that-need-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=1262","title":{"rendered":"Worst summer hiring season for teens? Not for Hawaii restaurants that need workers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Federal data shows U.S. businesses aren\u2019t hiring as many teens this summer as they used to.<\/p>\n

Read more Motorcyclist dies after crash on Maui<\/a><\/p>\n

The says teen unemployment jumped more than a percent to 14.7% from this time last year, while a report by employment firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas predicts the slowest summer hiring season for teens ages 16 to 19 in nearly 80 years. <\/p>\n

But there is some good news if you\u2019ve got a teenager looking for a job.<\/p>\n

The local restaurant industry is bucking the trend and is urging teens to apply for summer jobs, saying they need more workers to weather the tough economy.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

While some businesses are scaling back hiring due to the rising costs of fuel, wages and inflation, the restaurant industry says it\u2019s not skimping on manpower. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re hoping that they can get more employees because they really could use the help because we need the sales,\u201d said Sheryl Matsuoka, president and CEO of the Hawaii Restaurant Association.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are seeing less teens apply. Some of it is due to sports, you know, some of it is due to family travels.\u201d<\/p>\n

And some of it is due to more teens focusing on college prep or wanting to be social media influencers — a sign of the times.<\/p>\n

Read more Monk seal pup born at Waikiki beach to be relocated<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI went to Bob\u2019s and washed dishes,\u201d said Rick Nakashima, CEO and partner of Ruby Tuesday Hawaii, about his first job as a teen. \u201cIt was kind of the mentality, you went out and did a labor type job, and I don\u2019t think that\u2019s the mentality anymore. That\u2019s not what the kids are expecting each other to do.\u201d <\/p>\n

To combat worker shortages, eateries are spreading the word that food service jobs pay well and teach life skills that look good on resumes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Chinatown, we\u2019re experiencing from before $25 a day on the tip. They\u2019re making about $100 a day,\u201d said Ave Kwok, chairman of Maunakea Marketplace, which has 22 eateries under one roof. \u201cRestaurants like Bozie Jones Ribs and Maguro Brothers and Blue Seafood, they\u2019re all opening for positions to hire.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cCome over here, get some money, get some training,\u201d Nakashima said. \u201cMy servers make good money on tips, work towards that and use it as a bridge job.\u201d <\/p>\n

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\u201cOne in eight people in America has worked at McDonald\u2019s. One in eight. We have astronauts to scientists to Jeff Bezos, you name it,\u201d said Victor Lim, who owns five McDonald\u2019s franchises in Hawaii. \u201cThe restaurant sector really provides you with a foundation, even if it\u2019s not your career.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other benefits for teen workers: some eateries include free or discounted meals and a flexible schedule. Talk to the owner about working part time when school is back in session. <\/p>\n

Read more Human remains in Washington identified as missing Hawaii man decades later<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hawaii’s restaurant industry is urging teens to apply for summer jobs, saying they need more workers to weather the tough economy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1261,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nWorst summer hiring season for teens? Not for Hawaii restaurants that need workers - Hawaii Moving Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=1262\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Worst summer hiring season for teens? 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