With more workers vying for summer jobs this year, those looking for seasonal employment need to prepare for a challenging job market. Nearly a quarter (23 percent) of employers plan to hire seasonal workers for the summer, in line with last year's findings, but the competition for those jobs will be stiffer than in years past due to high unemployment and a tough economy. This is according to CareerBuilder's Annual Summer Job Forecast that was conducted from February 20 to March 11, 2009, among more than 2,500 employers.

Those that land summer jobs may have a chance to parlay their roles into year-round positions. More than half (56 percent) of companies reported that they would consider summer recruits for permanent placement within their organizations.

When it comes to summer paychecks, nearly eight-in-ten (77 percent) hiring managers will offer the same pay to seasonal workers this year as they did last year, while 9 percent will offer more. An additional 9 percent will offer less and 5 percent said they were unsure. Two-in-five companies (42 percent) plan to pay summer workers $10 or more per hour and 6 percent plan to pay $20 or more per hour. Thirty percent anticipate paying between $8 and $10 per hour, while 10 percent expect to pay less than $7 per hour.

"Summer job seekers face a bigger challenge this year than in years past, as the market is flooded with candidates looking for both full and part-time positions," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder. "The good news is that many traditional summer jobs are still available, but in this environment, it is essential that job seekers differentiate themselves and demonstrate how their skills can have a positive impact on a business in a short amount of time."

Comparing the industries surveyed, hospitality and retail have plans to bring the most summer workers on board, at 38 percent and 34 percent respectively. Across all industries, the most popular summer positions being offered include:

- Office support - 26 percent
- Customer service - 18 percent
- Research - 12 percent
- Landscape/maintenance - 11 percent
- Restaurant/food service - 11 percent
- Sales - 10 percent
- Construction/painting - 8 percent

When asked about the most unusual or memorable summer jobs they've ever held, workers shared the following responses:

- Bungee-jumping tower assistant
- Commercial bee herder
- Scouted garage sales for items to resell on eBay
- Murder Mystery dinner actor
- Cleaned gum off of school desks
- Gun fighter at a theme park
- Popsicle maker
- Picked up road kill
- Painted silo tops hanging from a crane
- Waterslide repairman