July 15, 2009 : Summertime Blues

>> Rooney: WHEN WE CONTINUE,
SUMMER JOBS FOR KIDS GOING TO
ADULTS.
>> Rooney: MANY ADULTS LOOK BACK
FONDLY ON THE TEEN AGE RITUAL OF
APPLYING FOR AND LANDING THAT
SUMMER JOB BUT EXPERTS SAY THERE
ARE FEWER THAN HALF THE PRIVATE
SECTOR JOBS FOR TEENS THAT WERE
THERE TEN YEARS AGO.
A DOWNWARD TREND THAT HAS BEEN
EXACERBATED BY THE POOR ECONOMY.
SUMMER EMPLOYMENT CAN TEACH
RESPONSIBILITY AND THE VALUE OF
HARD WORK.
BUT THESE BOSTON TEENS SAY SO
FAR THIS YEAR THEY'VE LEARNED
MOSTLY ABOUT DEALING WITH
REJECTION.
>> I NEVER GOT A CALL.
>> I FILLED OUT MANY
APPLICATIONS.
GOT REJECTED MANY TIMES.
>> CALLED THEM EVERY DAY AND
ASKED THEM IF I GOT THE JOB AND
THEY'RE LIKE NO I'LL CALL YOU
BACK, I'LL CALL YOU BACK.
>> Rooney: BECAUSE TEENS ARE
INCREASINGLY BEING SHUT OUT OF
JOBS AT ANY WAGE LIKE SANDWICHES
AT SUBWAY.
THE DECK IS STACKED AGAINST
TEENS IN THE DOWN ECONOMY.
>> I WAS IN ONE LOCATION THE
OTHER DAY AND THEY HAD AT LEAST
FIVE ADULTS COME IN FOR
APPLICATIONS AND THEY DON'T EVEN
HAVE A HIRING SIGN OUTSIDE.
>> Rooney: ADULTS ARE TAKING
FEWER VACATIONS AND HOLDING ON
TO ENTRY-LEVEL JOBS LONGER.
JOHNNY IS A GRADUATE DEGREE IN
CELLULAR COMMUNICATION BUT FOR
THE LAST YEAR HE'S BEEN WORKING
ON SUBS NOT CELL PHONES.
>> I SPENT TEN YEARS TO STUDY IN
MY FIELD AND WIRELESS
TELECOMMUNICATIONS SO IT'S BEEN
HARD TO WORK HERE.
>> Rooney: HE HOPES TO GET A
BETTER JOB AND BUY A HOME SOME
DAY BUT NOW IS GRATEFUL FOR ANY
JOB.
>> THEY LOOK FOR A JOB AT ANY
PLACE.
AT LEAST I WORK FROM HERE.
>> Rooney: WITH ABOUT HALF AS
MANY PRIVATE SECTOR JOBS
AVAILABLE FOR TEENS, AGENCIES
LIKE THE PRIVATE INDUSTRY
COUNCIL HAVE STEPPED IN.
HELP BEING ROLANDO GETTING A JOB
AND JOZY, A JOB AT THE HOSPITAL
AND A JOB AT CITIZEN'S BANK.
>> THERE'S A CERTAIN THINGS YOU
LEARN ON A PAID JOB.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS, LISTENING
TO YOUR BOSS.
SOLVING PROBLEMS.
>> Rooney: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
NEIL SULLIVAN SAYING STIMULUS
MONEY AND OTHER GRANTS WILL PUT
BOSTON TEENS TO WORK THIS
SUMMER, UNFORTUNATELY MUCH OF
THE PUBLIC MONEY WILL BE GONE
THIS YEAR.
>> THIS ONE'S GOT ME UP AT NIGHT
YOU'LL SEE AT LEAST A 50% CUT IN
THE STATE MONEY INVOLVED FOR
SUMMER JOBS IN BOSTON AND OTHER
CITIES ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH
AND THEN WE WILL SEE AT MOST A
THIRD OF FEDERAL MONEY.
>> Rooney: WITH THOSE MONIES
IT'S HARD TO SEE HOW NEXT YEAR'S
TEEN JOB PROGRAM IS GOING IT TO
WORK.
WITH ME IS JOSH BRUNO OF THE
BOSTON PRIVATE INDUSTRY COUNCIL
AND ALAN CLAYTON-MATHEWS.
WELCOME TO BOTH OF YOU.
I WAS SURPRISED HOW MANY JOBS
YOU CAME UP WITH.
THIS IS A GREAT DEAL WITH LOTS
OF PLACES LIKE HOSPITALS AND YOU
ACTUALLY GIVE THEM MONEY TO PAY
THE KIDS.
>> NO, ACTUALLY THE PRIVATE
SECTOR PAYS THEIR OWN WAGES --
>> Rooney: LIKE M.G.H. YOU JUST
FIND THE KIDS.
>> WE FIND THE KIDS.
THEY WORK INTERNALLY DO THEIR
JOB DESCRIPTION AND FIND THE
DEPARTMENTS TO TAKE THE KIDS
FROM 25 TO 35 HOURS A WEEK.
>> Rooney: AND WHERE DOES THE
FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY GO?
>> TO COMMUNITY-BASED
ORGANIZATION TO HIRE STUDENTS IN
THE COMMUNITIES.
WE, THE PRIVATE INDUSTRY
COUNCIL, FIND THAT AND HAND IT
OVER TO ABCD OR OTHER
NON-PROFITS.
>> Rooney: WHY IS NEIL SULLIVAN
WORRIEDED.
>> BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN A 40% CUT
FOR IN JOBS OR THE KIDS.
IN THE SUPER MARKET WE WOULD SAY
THERE WAS A PIMPLY-FACED
TEENAGER WORKING ON THE CASHIER
OR BAGGING GROCERIES AND THAT'S
NOT THE CASE ANY MORE WE HAD
AGREEMENTS WITH STOP&SHOP AND
HAD THEM INTERVIEW AND THEY NO
LONGER NEED US BECAUSE THEY HAVE
OLDER ADULTS OR PEOPLE NEW TO
THE COUNTRY TAKING JOBS FROM
TEENAGERS.
WE USED TO HAVE A BIG CHUNK OF
RETAIL JOBS WE COULD SEND OUR
STUDENTS TO THAT ARE NO LONGER
THERE.
>> Rooney: ISN'T THIS KIND OF --
A LOT OF RETAIL ESPECIALLY DON'T
NECESSARILY WANT SEASONAL
EMPLOYEES LIKE KIDS ONLY
AVAILABLE FOR EIGHT WEEKS SO
THEY'D RATHER HAVE THE OLDER
EMPLOYEE WHO'S MORE ESTABLISHED
MAYBE WILLING TO WORK FEWER
HOURS AS LONGS THEY GET SOME
BENEFITS, RETAIL OPERATIONS MAY
NOT BE TOO UPSET.
>> Rooney: AND EXPERIENCE.
>> EXPERIENCE REALLY HELPS IN
RETAIL.
>> Rooney: COMMUNICATION SKILLS.
THOSE KIDS COULD USE A LITTLE
HELP AND I'M LIKE -- HI, KIDS.
>> IN EVERY RECESSION YOUTH,
MINORITIES AND WOMEN USED TO
SUFFER RELATIVE TO THE WORK
FORCE AND THEIR UNEMPLOYMENT
RATES SHOOT UP HIGH IN
RECESSIONS AND IT'S NO EXCEPTION
THIS TYPE OF.
THE TEEN-AGED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
HAS RISEN SHARPLY HIGHER BUT
IT'S 13% NOW VERSUS OVER 16 IN
THE DOT COM RECESSION AND 24%
NATIONWIDE.
>> Rooney: BUT THE TRUTH OF THE
MATTER IS MOST TEENAGERS
DON'T "NEED" A JOB.
THEY NEED SOMETHING TO DO.
IN BOSTON THAT MAY BE AN
EXCEPTION BUT MOST KIDS ARE
LOOKING FOR STUFF TO DO IN THE
SUMMER AND THEY'RE PARENTS WOULD
LIKE THEM TO EARN SOMETHING SO
THE FACT THEY'RE TAKING OLDER
PEOPLE ARE MORE EXPERIENCED OR
PEOPLE ARE TAKING SOME OF THESE
JOBS, YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THAT.
>> THAT'S A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD.
IN BOSTON WITH OUR EXPERIENCE, A
LOT OF OUR TEENAGERS GETTING
JOBS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR ARE
CONTRIBUTING TO THE FAMILY
INCOME AND HELPING PAY ELECTRIC
BILLS AND FOOD BILLS AND SAVING
FOR COLLEGE AND MAY HAVE OTHER
BILLS THEY'RE CONTRIBUTING TO.
WE FIND FOR MOST OF OUR
TEENAGERS IN THE INNER CITY IN
BOSTON.
>> Rooney: CAN THEY BE 16 OR
OLDER OR YOUNGER?
>> MOST ARE 16-PLUS BECAUSE OUR
PRIVATE SECTOR WANTS
16-YEAR-OLDS OR HIGHER AND WE
HAVE MOST WHERE THE MOST OF
THEIR CHECK IS GOING TO FAMILY
INCOME TO HELP PAY BILLS AND
ALSO SOME SENIORS ARE SAVING A
LOT OF THAT MONEY SO THEY CAN
PAY FOR BOOKS AND GO TO COLLEGE.
>> Rooney: WHEN YOU CRUNCH THE
NUMBERS AND LOOK AT THE DATA AT
U-MASS DO YOU SEE SOME LIGHT AT
THE END OF THE TUNNEL OR GET
WORSE AS NEIL SULLIVAN SAID?
>> IT'S BAD AND IN TERMS OF
UNEMPLOYMENT IT'S AS BAD THAT'S
LAST RECESSION HOWEVER IF YOU
WANT TO PUT A GOOD FACE ON IT
JUST COMPARE MASSACHUSETTS TO
THE REST OF THE COUNTRY WHICH IS
MUCH WORSE.
THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN THE
U.S. IS 9.5%.
IT'S OVER A PERCENTAGE POINT
LOWER HERE, 8.2% AND ALL OTHER
MEASURES OF UNEMPLOYMENT ARE

NATIONALLY AND THE UNEMPLOYMENT
RATE FOR THOSE THAT ARE
NON-WHITE OR HISPANIC ORIGIN HAS
JUMPED FROM FIVE PERCENT FROM
LAST SPRING TO 13% NOW.
THAT'S OVER TWICE THE
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE OF WHITE
NON-HISPANICS.
>> Rooney: WHAT'S THE BREAK DOWN
OF THE KIDS APPLYING THROUGH THE
PRIVATE INDUSTRY COUNCIL?
IS IT LARGELY MINORITY KIDS?
BOSTON KIDS?
>> THEY'RE ALL BOSTON PUBLIC
SCHOOL KIDS AND THERE'S A
MAJORITY THAT ARE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN, LATINO.
>> Rooney: HOW DO YOU LET THEM
KNOW ABOUT THIS?
I'M SURPRISED THEY KNOW.
>> IN BETTER DAYS WE HAD AT
LEAST ONE CAREER COUNSELOR IN
EVERY PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL.
WE DON'T KNOW BECAUSE OF BUDGET
ISSUES BUT IT'S WORD OF MOUTH.
EVERYONE WANTS THE BETTER JOBS
AND WE HAVE COUNSELORS HELPING
KIDS WITH THEIR INTERVIEWING
SKILLS AND RESUME WRITING.
THEY GO TO THEIR COUNSELOR AND
IN THE SUMMER WE'RE HOUSED IN
THE J.P. OFFICE AND WORKING WITH
THEM TO GET THEM INTERNSHIPS AND
JOBS BUT THEY HAVE TO INTERVIEW
AND GO THROUGH THE PROSPECTS.
YOU HAVE TO POSSIBLY DO A DRUG
SCREEN OR BACKGROUND CHECK OR
WHATEVER.
>> Rooney: THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Rooney: ALL RIGHT.
WHEN WE CONTINUE THE DICTIONARY
GETS GETTING FATTER.
THIS YEAR'S NEW WORDS.
>> Rooney: AND THE LATEST
DICTIONARY HAS WEBISODE AND WE
QUIZZED THE CITIZENRY.
LETS START WITH AN EASY WON.
YOU CAN GET IT FROM LISTENING.
THE WORD IS FRENEMY.
>> FRENEMY.
I NEVER HEARD OF IT BUT IT SEEMS
LIKE A COMBINATION OF FRIENDS
AND ENEMY.
>> IT'S SOMEONE PRETENDING TO BE
A FRIEND WHO'S REALLY AN ENEMY.
NEXT THE MATCHUP STAYCATION.
>> YOU FIND NEAR YOUR HOME TO GO
TO.
>> Rooney: AND THIS KNOWN,
LOCOVORE.
>> SOMEONE WHO OVER EMPHASIZES
ON TRANSPORTATION AS THEIR FORM
OF TRAVEL.
>> Rooney: WHAT'S THE ORIGIN.
>> ONLY THE FOOD GROWN AROUND
WHERE YOU LIVE.
>> Rooney: CORRECT.
THE NEXT WORD HAS BEEN IN THE
NEWS ENOUGH THAT MOST PEOPLE
KNOW IT RIGHT AWAY.
WATER BOARDING.
>> THAT'S BAD NEWS.
THAT'S TORTURE.
>> POURING WATER ON SOMEBODY
UNTIL HE THINKS HE'S DROWNING.
>> Rooney: THAT'S RIGHT EXCEPT
FOR THE TORTURE PART AND THE
FINAL TAKE ON THE MERRIAM
WEBSTER EDITIONS?
>> THEY'RE NICE.
I'LL TRY TO USE THEM.
>> I'LL STICK TO MY DAY JOB,
THANK YOU.
>> Rooney: SO WILL WE AND
JOINING ME IS MERRIAM WEBSTER
EDITOR AT LARGE IS PETER
SOKOLOWSKI.
HOW DO YOU DECIDE ON A
DEFINITION FOR INSTANCE ON WATER
BOARDING I WOULD HAVE USED THE
WORD TORTURE ON THERE.
>> THE WORD TORTURE IS NOW A
POLITICAL QUESTION AND TO THE
EXTENT THAT WE CAN WE TRY TO
DEFINE THE WORD AND NOT THE
ITEM, IN OTHER WORDS, THERE'S A
LITTLE DISTINCTION --
>> Rooney: YOU DON'T USE HOW'S
IT'S PRACTICED.
>> BUT IN CONTEXT AND OFTEN USED
AS AN INTERROGATION TECHNIQUE
WAS MORE NEUTRAL AND IT IS A
POLITICAL QUESTION AND FROM ONE
PERSPECTIVE OR ANOTHER PEOPLE
MAY THINK WE TAKE SIDES AND IN
POLITICS WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO BE
AS NEUTRAL AS POSSIBLE IS ALWAYS
WHERE WE START.
>> Rooney: LAST YEAR YOU TOLD US
YOU TRIED TO STAY AWAY FROM
TRENDY WORDS LIKE FRENEMY AND
STAYCATION.
WHY THE EXCEPTION FOR THOSE.
>> Rooney: THEY'RE DUMB BY THE
WAY.
>> THEY'RE FUN, STAYCATION GOT A
BOOST WHEN GAS PRICES WERE HIGH
A YEAR AGO AND WITH THE
RECESSION NOW IT'S A WORD WE
FIND IN USE IN MANY PLACES.
IF IT'S USED IN THE NEW YORK
TIMES AND GLOBE AND PRINTED
SOURCES IT BECOMES PART OF THE
LANGUAGE FRENEMY IS FROM YOUTH
CULTURE AND ONE OCCURRING USED
IN MAUREEN DOWD'S COLUMNS
>> Rooney: AND SHE TRIES TO BE
TRENDY.
>> IF SHE USE IT IN THE COLUMN
THAT'S A CUE TO US SHE BELIEVES
MOST MUCH HER READERS WILL KNOW
WHAT IT MEANS.
>> Rooney: A COUPLE WORDS THAT I
WAS REALLY STUNNED WERE NOT
ALREADY THERE, EARMARK AND
CARBON FOOTPRINT.
>> THIS SHOWS IN OF ENSIDE
BASEBALL HOW THE DICTIONARIES
ARE WRITTEN EARMARK IN THE
LEGISLATIVE SENSE HAS BEEN IN
OUR DICTIONARY FOR MANY YEARS
BUT THERE'S A FUNCTION SHIFT
WHEN IT BECOMES A NOUN.
THIS IS THE NOUN.
AND THE FACT IS I LOOK BACK AT
THE EVIDENCE AND THE FACT IS
WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH THIS OURER
AS TELL US IT'S A COMMON AND
FAMILIAR WORD BUT WE'VE HEARD IT
AS A NOUN INCREASINGLY AND IT
WAS USED AND NOW REPORTING ON
THE WORD.
>> Rooney: CARBON FOOTPRINT.
>> IT'S A WORD ON EVERYBODY'S
MIND AND I THINK IT INITIALLY
WAS REGARDED AND AGAIN INSIDE
BASEBALL BECAUSE THE TWO TERMS
COULD BE LOOKED UP SEPARATELY
AND YOU COULD DECIDE IF THE FOOT
PRINT YOU LEAVE CAN BE SOMETHING
YOU EXTRAPOLATE BUT IF IT'S USED
OFTEN ENOUGH AS A UNIT IT'S
BELONGS AS A UNIT.
>> Rooney: AND GREEN COLLAR.
>> OPPOSED TO BLUE COLLAR OR
WHITE COLLAR A JOB THAT'S
INCLUDES PROTECTING THE
ENVIRONMENT.
>> Rooney: I THOUGHT IT WAS A
TREE HUGGER OR SOMETHING.
>> NO IT'S A SERIOUS TERM IN
INDUSTRY.
>> Rooney: A LOT OF THE NEW
TERMS ARE MEDICALLY BASED.
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE MINGLING WITH
THE LANGUAGE.
>> THAT'S TRUE OF A LOT OF WORDS
IN THIS YEAR'S BATCH.
>> Rooney: IT BECOMES ALMOST
BUREAUCRATICIZE.
>> WHEN YOU SEE WORDS ABOUT
MEDICINE THERE ARE NEW ONES BUT
THE BUSINESS OF MEDICINE OR THE
BEAURACRACY OF MEDICINE AND
THERE'S A NEW WORD THAT'S A TERM
THAT'S A FANCY TERM FOR PHYSICAL
THERAPY AND HOSPITALIST AND
THAT'S A WORD NO ONE HAD HEARD
AND WHAT WE SEE IS OUR
POPULATION IS AGING, MEDICAL
TECHNOLOGY IS IMPROVING AND THE
VOCABULARY IS EXPANDING AND
THERE'S A SENSE IN WHICH WE SEE
A SORT OF BUREAUCRATIC LANGUAGE.
>> Rooney: I'M TOLD WE HAD THE
WRONG DEFINITION FOR GREEN
COLLAR UP THERE I DON'T KNOW IF
WE CAN GET THE RIGHT ONE UP.
ANYWAY, THAT WAS CRAZY.
NEVER KNOWING THAT ONE, FOLKS.
LAST YEAR YOU TOLD ME THROW OUT
CERTAIN WORDS TO MAKE NEW ROOM
FOR NEW ONES.
WHAT DID YOU THROW OUT THIS
TIME?
>> SOME OF THE EXAMPLE SENTENCES
MAY GET SHORTENED AND WE'LL TRY
TO MAKE THE PAGE FIT AS IT HAD
AND THAT'S THE ISSUE.
>> Rooney: TAKE THE PICTURES
OUT.
>> SOMETIMES THAT'S THE CASE.
>> YOU STILL HAVE THE PICTURES?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> Rooney: I ALWAYS LOVE THE
PICTURES.
MARIJUANA.
>> PLANT AND ANIMALS ESPECIALLY
BIRDS ARE GREAT BECAUSE THEY
DON'T AGE AND CLEAR LINE
DRAWINGS WE USE AND WHEN WE ARE
A FULL REVISION OF THE
DIRECTIONRY ONCE A DECADE AND
THAT'S COMING UP THAT'S WHEN WE
SEE SOME WORDS FALLING OUT OF
THE LEXICON.
>> Rooney: ARE PEOPLE BUYING
DICTIONARIES OR JUST ONLINE.
>> WE HAVE MANY ON LINE AND THE
PRINT DICTIONARY IS STILL
SOMETHING PEOPLE WANT ON THEIR
DESK AT WORK.
MOST PEOPLE.
>> WE'RE STILL THRILLED THE BOOK
EXISTS AS A BUSINESS.
>> Rooney: PETER SOKOLOWSKI
ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE YOU.
THAT'S IT FOR "GREATER BOSTON."
TOMORROW JARROD BOWEN GOES
CENTER STAGE WITH LEE
MERIWEATHER IN MAINE.
I'M EMILY ROONEY.
GOOD NIGHT.
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