The slump in Hawaii’s labor market might have bottomed out for adult job seekers, but teenagers are still facing historically high unemployment as the summer hiring season approaches.

Teens have had a tough time finding work during an economic slowdown that has stifled hiring and boosted the number of adult workers competing for jobs traditionally held by teens.

The jobless rate in Hawaii for those age 16 to 19 rose to 26.5 percent in 2010, the highest level since the federal government began keeping rec­ords for state employment by age groups in 1981. The rate continued to rise in 2011, hitting 26.9 percent in January.

The unemployment rate for the entire work force, meanwhile, dipped to 6.6 percent in 2010 after peaking at 6.8 percent in 2009. The rate fell further to 6.3 percent for the first three months of 2011.

Charry Marquez, a 19-year-old Leeward Community College student, said she’s been looking for a part-time position since losing a retail job that she held temporarily last year during the holidays. Marquez and two of her friends who are also attending Leeward were among the hundreds in attendance last week at an annual spring job and career fair at LCC.

Teachers and advisers at Castle High School say the dearth of jobs for teenagers highlights the need for students to be prepared when they go job hunting. The school holds a "mock interview" session each year in late January or early February with recruiters from local companies who help students hone their job-interviewing skills.

"When they talk to our students, they always tell us you need to make sure that you’re prepared because you are facing a tougher job market now then ever before," said Sai­neha Reeves, who teaches arts and communication, one of six "career pathways" courses offered in Castle’s Career and Technical Education program.

Students are allowed to participate in the mock interviews starting as sophomores, and can repeat the program as juniors or seniors if they desire.

"It gives the students a real live indicator of if they would get a job or not get a job. It helps prepare them because in their junior year they’ll actually go out and start looking for jobs," Reeves said. Although the sessions are intended to merely simulate job interviews, some employers have been so impressed with the students that they’ve offered them jobs on the spot, she said.

Cheyanne Vysoky, a 15-year-old Castle sophomore, said she volunteered at the Ahui­amanu Summer Fun program for the past two years so that she would have some work experience on her resume when she turned 15 and became eligible for a work permit.

"There is a Petco opening in Kane­ohe, and I’m thinking of applying there," she said.

Shareen Masumoto, coordinator of Castle’s CTE program, said the tight job market means it is a good time for teenagers to get volunteer experience.

"We explain to them that they’re committing to not getting paid, but you may learn something about yourself. And volunteering looks good on a resume as well as a college application," Masu­moto said.

Although the Leeward Community College job and career fair is geared toward high school and college students, it also has attracted greater numbers of older job seekers in recent years, said Sandy Hoshino, job preparation coordinator at LCC.

Jack in the Box, which had a booth Wednesday at the job fair, has seen an increase in job applicants with more work experience, said Sandra Chun, franchise training manager for Hawaii.

"We’re getting more people applying for jobs that have worked at a higher-paying job prior," she said.

Hoshino also said many students who can’t find jobs are apparently opting to stay in school longer.

"The competition in the job market is very stiff, and that’s why we also have the college recruiting programs here. It’s an option if you can’t find a job," she said.

Attendance at colleges and universities has risen across the country in the wake of the economic recession. Enrollment in the University of Hawaii system increased this spring for the fourth consecutive year, pushing the number of students to a rec­ord 56,716.

Several recent surveys have predicted that the job market for college graduates will improve this spring for the first time in three years.

"Entry-level hiring has not returned to pre-recession levels, but this year’s graduates should find markedly improved job-search conditions," said John Challenger, chief executive officer from Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., a Chicago-based employment consultancy.

"However, finding a position will by no means be easy, and many spring graduates may have to settle for less money or for a job outside of their preferred career path," he said.