. >> reporter: looking for summer employment has become a full-time job for 19-year-old ana galindo. >> i'm worrying all the time because i have bills to pay. >> reporter: faced with mounting school bills, anna has filled out countless applications, but so the far the answer has been the same -- >> at the moment we're not hiring. we're just taking applications and we'll give you a call. >> reporter: but the phone never rings. college sophomore john reed-torres has been job hunting since last november. he says he's often competing with older workers and college grads for entry-level positions. >> people with master's trying to work in mcdonald's. they're going to get hired before i do. >> reporter: the latest figures show california's unemployment rate among teenagers is more than 34%, nearly triple the state's overall unemployment rate. in cities such as irvine, california, job fairs have been canceled because few companies have agreed to participate. meanwhile, in los angeles, it's not just the private sector turning young applicants away. in the past, m . a. teens, especially those