Federal money will help hire teens, young adults

The tough economy will make it difficult for teenagers to get summer jobs this year. To help alleviate the problem, President Barack Obama's federal stimulus bill, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, includes $2.9 million to hire people ages 14 to 24 between now and 2011.

The federal program New Hampshire requires that a person be from a family that is at the federal poverty level, or about $22,000 for a family of four.

The summer program is July 6 to Aug. 21. Jobs will typically pay about $8 an hour, and the workweek is 20 to 30 hours.

Employers are prohibited from hiring summer youth to replace workers who have been laid off.

In addition to private companies, nonprofit organizations and municipalities are elegible to hire under the program.

For more information, visit nhworks.org.