The city’s younger applicants encountered more fierce competition with an average unemployment rate of 35.2 percent over the past year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which said its local data are subject to sampling errors.

Alejandro Gonzalez, 16, of Kingsbridge, said he wanted to get a job through the city’s Summer Youth Employment Program because it helped his brother kick off his professional career. However, he missed the deadline.

“It’s how my brother got a job. He went from there to Burger King to Olive Garden in Times Square to American Eagle,” said Alejandro. “I’m going to start looking again during the school year.”

For now, Alejandro says he spends an overwhelming amount of free time with friends, who are nearly all unemployed.

“It’s not just about the money, but to have something to do,” he said.

This year the city cut 1,328 slots from the SYEP, which uses a lottery to award 14 to 24-year-olds seven-week stints at summer camps, hospitals, government agencies and small businesses. However, the number of applicants for the 29,300 jobs grew from 131,119 to 132,000.

Locally, Mosholu Montefiore Community Center processes and assigns SYEP-financed labor to about 140 businesses and organizations including Riverdale Neighborhood House, Kingsbridge Heights Community Center and Hebrew Home at Riverdale. Bob Altman, MMCC’s director of summer youth programs, said the center was given 1,025 slots this summer, 15 fewer than last year. 

Mr. Altman said “it’s terrible” that so few of the 7,000 applicants receive contracts for up to 25 hours of work a week at $7.25 per hour.

“Two years ago we had around 8,500 [applicants]. But the kids were getting so tired of not getting picked that they stopped applying this year,” Mr. Altman said. “They want to work and learn … It’s not a hand out.”

Imani James, 16, said landing a SYEP job at the Kingsbridge Heights Community Center’s summer day camp helped end the job search she began after her 15th birthday.