The summer jobs college students bank on to get them through the academic year just aren't there in this tough economy this year, students say.

Becky Turano has searched the want ads, filled out dozens of applications and even went shop to shop trying to find a job - but she hasn't found any work.

"I'm looking for a job, all my friends are looking. None of us can find one. We've applied everywhere," Turano says.

It isn't just the high national unemployment figures - 9.4 percent - but also a change in the hiring trend. With an increasing number of older people looking for full- or part-time jobs, employers say the jobs college students once held are now filled before summer break.

Debbie Salvaggio, the manager at Moranos Gourmet Deli, says she would rather hire older workers because she says they're usually more reliable and won't leave for college in August.