Claudia Ukonu

Claudia Ukonu searched for three months for a summer job, to no avail. She remained unemployed throughout the summer.

“I sit at home all day,” said Ukonu, a sophomore marketing major at Howard University.

As the economy continues to slump and soaring fuel prices rise to record levels, Ukonu is one of thousands of college students who found it difficult to find summer employment.

Ukonu said she had to supplement her income “by going into my savings and even taking out loans … although I do not do much, it’s still not the best resource to take out a loan,” said Ukonu, who began looking for a job in June. “I’d much rather have a job.”

The nation as a whole has been hit by soaring unemployment rates. In June, 68 metropolitan areas across the country reported unemployment rates of at least 7 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

For those who graduated and are still looking for employment, the stress level is high. Drew Daniels, a May 2008 Dillard University grad, said he is still looking. “I applied for jobs back in March and I’m just now starting to hear some responses back from some companies," the mass communications major said.
 

Drew Daniels

"The interview process for some jobs is so long and can take up most of your time … going on two or three interviews, filling out applications and questionnaires. The process can drain you."

Daniels has a backup plan. If he is not successful in finding a journalism job this summer, he plans to enroll in graduate school to pursue a master’s degree.

Rianna Felder, a sophomore broadcast journalism major at Howard University, said unemployment caused her to lose motivation to do anything. “I don’t go anywhere. I have to wait until all my friends get off work to do anything. I’m bored during the day, so instead I just sleep until evening,” Felder said.