HARTFORD, Conn. — The economic turmoil that has left many Americans without work is having a disproportionate effect on teenage job-seekers, whose quest for entry-level positions often pits them against experienced older workers willing to take any job for a paycheck.

U.S. labor figures show the 2011 unemployment rate nationwide averaged just below 9 percent, but for job-seekers ages 16 to 19, it was almost 25 percent — the third consecutive year in that range, and with some cities recording rates far higher.

Automation has also eliminated many of the after-school, weekend and summer jobs that had been the longtime domain of first-time workers as computerized equipment has helped companies trim positions in everything from local car washes to photocopy shops and supermarkets.

Participants discussing the trend at a forum Tuesday in Hartford say that it’s alarming, and that society suffers when an entire generation’s chance to learn valuable workplace skills are delayed or denied. On a personal level, it’s also a source of growing stress for teenagers who need jobs for experience, pocket money or to help their families.