Five years ago Bloomberg published an article about how American teenagers aren’t working anymore. Some people suspect they're being crowded out of the workforce by older Americans who are working past the age of 65. Some people think teens are being pushed to volunteer for the summer to impress college admission counselors. The data says something different.
as a college professor I’m always sad when students feel like every summer they need to do something resume worthy. The things I learned working in offices, stores, cafes, etc made me more insightful teacher and person, influencing everything from my stamina and skill set to my politics.
Like Maude, my 16 year old lost his after-school job in March 2020. He hustled for months to find something to balance out the isolation of distance learning and help him feel useful and connected. A chance to volunteer delivering meals for our local food bank for a few months gave him the idea to apply to a local retirement home as a waiter. Throughout the pandemic he delivered meals to residents isolating in their rooms. The job has been hard (resident mortality, dementia and depression; also hard work, short staffed shifts, Covid risk) but it’s been a chance to make a difference and some money for school. Also to create relationships with working people of different backgrounds and see from their point of view. His classmates meanwhile were doing college & enrichment classes online. That’s good too, but I think my son learned more.
We live in a place that is a tourist spot in the summer months, hence the workforce is full of local teenagers. The seasonal businesses wouldn't survive w/o them. In fact, you are the odd kid out if you don't have a job (or two!). My 18 year old started scooping ice cream at 14 and has done so every summer since. Tips are excellent and learning to deal with customers, how to properly keep a work space clean and knowing what physical work involves (sore feet and wrists!) all provide great life lessons. She also babysits and tutors in math during the school year. This summer she is also working at a cafe some mornings to maximize her college savings. My 15 year old also just started working at a cafe last week. I like too that they are working with people of various ages and getting to know people in the community outside of their normal circles. Sometimes, I hear people say that teenagers should not work and just enjoy their freedom, but I think the work has been so valuable for mine. And honestly, if they didn't work, they would be sitting home alone since all their friends are busy working as well! Of course, there is still time for fun too :).
I babysat starting at 11 [perks of being the daughter of the town pediatrician] and spent most of my summers working in my parents' clinic. It wasn't a summer job, but my favorite teenage job was working in my college's intramurals and rec sports office -- I learned a lot but also got to meet a lot of students I might not have otherwise met, plus I got paid to watch sports. It was a dream come true.
As far as monogamous gay men go, I have two male couples I have been friends with since 1975. They were couples then and are still together; eventually being able to get married in New York after over 30 years together living faithfully. One couple had two children together. They are an inspiration to me of loving, devoted people.
As someone who works in tourism (highly seasonal)... We just don't get high school/college kids applying for jobs. I'm sure there are a variety of factors including low pay, little flexibility in schedule, and remote location. But based on what I'm seeing in our community right now - teenagers still aren't applying for jobs like they did in the 70s/80s.
From my own personal experience, my 14 year old considered getting a summer job. We told him he didn't have to. He'll be a freshman in the fall so studying/resume building haven't really started yet. But. He has between 1 and 7 sports activities every week this summer. Morning weight training, golf tournaments, basketball "open gym", not to mention camps. And they're all "highly recommended" (meaning if you don't go, you stand no chance of landing a starting position). It's a burden on the employer if we get him a job and then say he can't work 50% of the time. We are fortunate that we have been saving since before the kids were born for them to attend college (and we emphasize they can choose whatever path they prefer, college, trade school, apprenticeship, etc. College is not a foregone conclusion) and can afford to provide them with fun money. But I know many families are not in that position and kids have no choice but to find work. I can't imagine the struggle between balancing all the demands for your time and attention at that age. I want my kids to work before college but finding the right opportunity is going to be tough.
I babysat, cleaned a small town hair salon, worked the shoe department at Kmart, worked at Wendy's for a couple of years and in "the 2s room" at a daycare center. All of those jobs were between the ages of 12 and 18! I'm not sure what my own kids will do. I think there is value in having a part-time job as a teenager. However, I think there are more demands on teens' time these days. More homework, more AP classes, more college prep, more intense sports, etc. I was able to do those part-time jobs, maintain my grades and participate in extracurricular activities.
We live in a suburb and starting at 12, our kids volunteered at the neighborhood pool helping to teach swim lessons during the summer. Once they turned 15, they were able to apply to work as a paid lifeguard and swim instructor. Our 14 year old is also a summer camp counselor at a nearby rec center. These kind of teenage summer jobs are pretty commonplace in our community, but it might be because it is easy for the kids to walk or ride their bike to work.
I was shocked by the number of young adults I have met over the last decade that never worked a job of any kind until after they graduated college. My husband has fired 6 attorneys this past year for lying about their qualifications on their resumes, goofing off and not actually working from home when they should be, and poor performance (basic skills such as talking on the phone appropriately to clients). Unbelievable. Those first teen jobs teach you more than you can learn in any classroom. I am glad to hear more teens are going back to work. These early jobs will help them learn basic social skills- our workforce needs this now, more than ever.
as a college professor I’m always sad when students feel like every summer they need to do something resume worthy. The things I learned working in offices, stores, cafes, etc made me more insightful teacher and person, influencing everything from my stamina and skill set to my politics.
Like Maude, my 16 year old lost his after-school job in March 2020. He hustled for months to find something to balance out the isolation of distance learning and help him feel useful and connected. A chance to volunteer delivering meals for our local food bank for a few months gave him the idea to apply to a local retirement home as a waiter. Throughout the pandemic he delivered meals to residents isolating in their rooms. The job has been hard (resident mortality, dementia and depression; also hard work, short staffed shifts, Covid risk) but it’s been a chance to make a difference and some money for school. Also to create relationships with working people of different backgrounds and see from their point of view. His classmates meanwhile were doing college & enrichment classes online. That’s good too, but I think my son learned more.
We live in a place that is a tourist spot in the summer months, hence the workforce is full of local teenagers. The seasonal businesses wouldn't survive w/o them. In fact, you are the odd kid out if you don't have a job (or two!). My 18 year old started scooping ice cream at 14 and has done so every summer since. Tips are excellent and learning to deal with customers, how to properly keep a work space clean and knowing what physical work involves (sore feet and wrists!) all provide great life lessons. She also babysits and tutors in math during the school year. This summer she is also working at a cafe some mornings to maximize her college savings. My 15 year old also just started working at a cafe last week. I like too that they are working with people of various ages and getting to know people in the community outside of their normal circles. Sometimes, I hear people say that teenagers should not work and just enjoy their freedom, but I think the work has been so valuable for mine. And honestly, if they didn't work, they would be sitting home alone since all their friends are busy working as well! Of course, there is still time for fun too :).
I babysat starting at 11 [perks of being the daughter of the town pediatrician] and spent most of my summers working in my parents' clinic. It wasn't a summer job, but my favorite teenage job was working in my college's intramurals and rec sports office -- I learned a lot but also got to meet a lot of students I might not have otherwise met, plus I got paid to watch sports. It was a dream come true.
As far as monogamous gay men go, I have two male couples I have been friends with since 1975. They were couples then and are still together; eventually being able to get married in New York after over 30 years together living faithfully. One couple had two children together. They are an inspiration to me of loving, devoted people.
As someone who works in tourism (highly seasonal)... We just don't get high school/college kids applying for jobs. I'm sure there are a variety of factors including low pay, little flexibility in schedule, and remote location. But based on what I'm seeing in our community right now - teenagers still aren't applying for jobs like they did in the 70s/80s.
From my own personal experience, my 14 year old considered getting a summer job. We told him he didn't have to. He'll be a freshman in the fall so studying/resume building haven't really started yet. But. He has between 1 and 7 sports activities every week this summer. Morning weight training, golf tournaments, basketball "open gym", not to mention camps. And they're all "highly recommended" (meaning if you don't go, you stand no chance of landing a starting position). It's a burden on the employer if we get him a job and then say he can't work 50% of the time. We are fortunate that we have been saving since before the kids were born for them to attend college (and we emphasize they can choose whatever path they prefer, college, trade school, apprenticeship, etc. College is not a foregone conclusion) and can afford to provide them with fun money. But I know many families are not in that position and kids have no choice but to find work. I can't imagine the struggle between balancing all the demands for your time and attention at that age. I want my kids to work before college but finding the right opportunity is going to be tough.
I babysat, cleaned a small town hair salon, worked the shoe department at Kmart, worked at Wendy's for a couple of years and in "the 2s room" at a daycare center. All of those jobs were between the ages of 12 and 18! I'm not sure what my own kids will do. I think there is value in having a part-time job as a teenager. However, I think there are more demands on teens' time these days. More homework, more AP classes, more college prep, more intense sports, etc. I was able to do those part-time jobs, maintain my grades and participate in extracurricular activities.
We live in a suburb and starting at 12, our kids volunteered at the neighborhood pool helping to teach swim lessons during the summer. Once they turned 15, they were able to apply to work as a paid lifeguard and swim instructor. Our 14 year old is also a summer camp counselor at a nearby rec center. These kind of teenage summer jobs are pretty commonplace in our community, but it might be because it is easy for the kids to walk or ride their bike to work.
I was shocked by the number of young adults I have met over the last decade that never worked a job of any kind until after they graduated college. My husband has fired 6 attorneys this past year for lying about their qualifications on their resumes, goofing off and not actually working from home when they should be, and poor performance (basic skills such as talking on the phone appropriately to clients). Unbelievable. Those first teen jobs teach you more than you can learn in any classroom. I am glad to hear more teens are going back to work. These early jobs will help them learn basic social skills- our workforce needs this now, more than ever.