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.