Sean O’Neill worked three jobs this summer: pouring drinks at two bars and being a lifeguard at a town pool. Last summer, the 21-year-old college student, who hails from a wealthy suburb just outside Boston, didn’t even have a job.

But times have changed. Earlier this year, O’Neill’s father, who had a senior-level job at an affiliate of the now-defunct Lehman Brothers investment bank, was laid off. His mother, who worked at Bank of America, also lost her job.