It's slim pickings for jobs in Oakland these days and that's especially true for the city's youth.

But, despite the scarcity of public funds to help teens obtain jobs, youth advocacy organizations and government officials say they have been working to make sure there are at least some employment opportunities for the city's most vulnerable youth - those in the foster care and the probation system.

Cuts to federal and state funds and the lingering affects of the recent recession have all been cited as reasons why employment eligible youth will be without a working gig this summer.

Lori Jones, co-director of the Alameda County Social Services Agency, said that by diverting some restricted funds, her organization is able to help the cities most vulnerable youth.

"What we were able to do this summer is take a look at our foster youth and our probation youth that are in that category that we are serving, take some of that money and fund summer employment opportunities," she said. "Our hope is that we're at least able to touch 600 to 800 youth."

Jones said the funding will only be available for foster care and probation youth.

"It's restricted, unfortunately," she said. "It's specifically to serve kids who are at risk  of coming into foster care either through the probation system or the child welfare system, but it's an opportunity. And we are talking about the most at risk kids."

Like the rest of the city, Oakland youth will have to be especially diligent in their search for employment as the city continues to battle a high unemployment rate. Oakland's unemployment rate is 16.5 percent, higher than the state's 12.1 percent.

The mayor's summer jobs program, which normally helps several hundred young people obtain work, has seen significant cuts because the federal government has taken away funding. Meanwhile, local youth advocacy groups also have seen money dry up for summer jobs.

"Everyone's kind of cobbling together resources to try and help our youth," Jones said. "It's just a very tough time right now."

Mayor Jean Quan said she's been sending letters to companies and organizations who may be able to hire city youth.

"We're sending out letters to all of the major employers in Oakland telling them that the federal government for the first time in decades now will not fund the mayor's summer jobs program. We usually count on that (funding) for 500 jobs, so we've lost those and I'm asking (employers) to step up."

Oakland isn't the only city dealing with low employment opportunities for local youth. According to the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston, Mass., only one in four teenagers is expected to find a summer job this year, the lowest level of youth employment since World War II.

Many youth advocates say investing in jobs for youth is critical.

"One of the things we know is that when youth don't have anything to do over the summer they, quite frankly, get into trouble," Jones said. "And what we want to be able to do is provide an opportunity for them to, one, have something constructive to do, and two, learn some skills to carry them through not only the academic school year, but also to prepare them for what's ahead as they graduate from high school."

Jones said local youth can benefit greatly from entry level positions, paid stipends or internships.

"(Jobs) can give kids a real look at what it means to have responsibility, to earn a paycheck, to have to be somewhere on time," she said. "Kids that work during the summer are more likely to be successful in the classroom and to graduate. Summer jobs gives kids a purpose, something to do other than hanging out and getting into trouble."

"Summer jobs are super important," said Youth Uprising Director Olis Simmons. Her organization, along with Youth Employment Partnership, will work with Alameda County in finding work for foster and probation system youth.

Simmons, however, said a summer job is just one pathway in addressing the needs of the city's youth.

"Summer jobs are important but, here's the truth. For our young people who are already disconnected and disenfranchised they're not always in school, so a summer job is an artificial break for them," Simmons said. "It is really about year-round employment. It's about engaging them  meaningfully in a life path regardless of the time of year. So this summer job piece is part of a larger pathway  to prosperity."