Missing: Teens in the Workplace

For 17-year-old Hallea Afourguit, school sometimes feels like a full-time job. The senior at Burke High School in Omaha, Nebraska, is trying to balance taking A.P. government and literature courses, studying for the A.C.T. exam, and completing her college applications. All of this leaves her with little time for an actual job.

“My parents have been telling me, ‘You do not need a job right now. Your only focus should be on school,’” Hallea says.

That’s a far cry from the mind-set many people had when Hallea’s parents were teenagers. Back then, jobs like flipping burgers, lifeguarding at the pool, and scooping ice cream were practically a rite of passage. And even teens who didn’t work during the school year typically still held summer jobs.

But today, teens are waiting until later in life to bring home their first paycheck. In 2000, more than 50 percent of teens, age 16 to 19, had a job—now it’s about 35 percent (see graph, below). And, the proportion of teens who work during the summer has also fallen dramatically—from nearly 72 percent in 1978 to about 43 percent in 2016.

school sometimes feels like a full-time job. The senior at Burke High School in Omaha, Nebraska, takes A.P. government and literature courses. She tries to balance that with studying for the A.C.T. exam and completing her college applications. All of this leaves her with little time for an actual job.

“My parents have been telling me, ‘You do not need a job right now. Your only focus should be on school,’” Hallea says.

That’s a far cry from the mindset many people had when Hallea’s parents were teenagers. Back then, jobs like flipping burgers, lifeguarding at the pool, and scooping ice cream were practically a rite of passage. And even teens who didn’t work during the school year typically still held summer jobs.

But today, teens are waiting until later in life to bring home their first paycheck. In 2000, more than 50 percent of teens, ages 16 to 19, had a job. Today, about 35 percent do (see graph, below). And, the proportion of teens who work during the summer has also fallen dramatically—from nearly 72 percent in 1978 to about 43 percent in 2016.

But it’s not that teens are playing video games all day. Like Hallea, they’re working less because they’re putting more of an emphasis on academics and taking the courses they’ll need to get into college, according to a recent report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The report found that high schools are requiring teens to take a larger number of classes to graduate, and more teens are taking advanced-level courses, such as A.P. calculus and Honors English, than they did 35 years ago. And largely because of their heavier course loads, more teens are now attending summer school—4 out of every 10, compared to only about 1 in 10 in 1985.

The academic push is necessary, experts say, because of increased competition in college admissions. The number of recent high school graduates who go to college has increased from about 45 percent in 1959 to about 70 percent in 2015.

“Teens can see that better-paying jobs come with education, so there’s a lot of influence for them to concentrate on school,” says Teri Morisi, an economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the author of the report.

But it’s not that teens are playing video games all day. Like Hallea, they’re working less because they’re putting more of an emphasis on academics. More teens are taking the courses they’ll need to get into college, according to a recent report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The report found that high schools are requiring teens to take a larger number of classes to graduate. It also found that more teens are taking advanced-level courses, such as A.P. calculus and Honors English, than they did 35 years ago. And largely because of their heavier course loads, more teens are now attending summer school. In fact, 4 out of every 10 do so, compared to only about 1 in 10 in 1985.

The academic push is necessary, experts say, because of increased competition in college admissions. The number of recent high school graduates who go to college has increased from about 45 percent in 1959 to about 70 percent in 2015.

“Teens can see that better-paying jobs come with education, so there’s a lot of influence for them to concentrate on school,” says Teri Morisi, an economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the author of the report.

Indeed, by 2020, 65 percent of all jobs will require education or training beyond high school, according to a recent report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. That’s up from 28 percent in 1973—a sign that a high school diploma alone isn’t worth as much as in the past.

One other factor is also at work in the decline in teen employment, economists say: Many of the low-paying jobs they once counted on, such as folding jeans at a Gap or delivering pizzas, are being filled by older workers.

The change in the workforce has created a dilemma for some businesses that want to hire teens but can’t find any to work for them. That’s why Jeffrey Kaplow, who owns a Subway restaurant in New York City, spends a lot of time working behind the counter. He simply doesn’t have enough employees, and he worries that if the line grows too long, he might lose customers.

“Every time there’s a huge line, the next day the store is nowhere near as busy,” he explains.

Keith Miller, who owns three Subway locations in Northern California, is dealing with the same issue.

Indeed, by 2020, 65 percent of all jobs will require education or training beyond high school, according to a recent report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. That’s up from 28 percent in 1973—a sign that a high school diploma alone isn’t worth as much as in the past.

One other factor is also at work in the decline in teen employment, economists say: Many of the low-paying jobs they once counted on are being filled by older workers. That includes jobs such as folding jeans at a Gap or delivering pizzas.

The change in the workforce has created a dilemma for some businesses. They want to hire teens but can’t find any to work for them. That’s why Jeffrey Kaplow, who owns a Subway restaurant in New York City, spends a lot of time working behind the counter. He simply doesn’t have enough employees, and he worries that if the line grows too long, he might lose customers.

“Every time there’s a huge line, the next day the store is nowhere near as busy,” he explains.

Keith Miller, who owns three Subway locations in Northern California, is dealing with the same issue.

“We used to get overwhelmed with the number of people wanting summer jobs,” Miller says, but now he gets just a handful of applicants. “I don’t know what teenagers do all summer.”

Some companies have raised wages and tried other tactics to attract older teen workers. McDonald’s, for example, announced that it will expand its tuition-reimbursement program. Staffers who work for at least 90 days will be eligible to get as much as $2,500 a year for college or trade school. Workers used to have to work nine months for $700 in reimbursements.

Some people say unemployed teens are missing out not only on earning extra cash, but also on valuable life experiences. A recent study released by Drexel University in Philadelphia found that teens who have summer jobs are more likely to earn higher wages in the future. Plus, having a job early in life can teach financial responsibility, such as how to balance a bank account and pay taxes.

However, other studies show that working more than 20 hours a week during the school year can hurt students in school by tiring them out and leaving less time for studying.

Still, giving up work to focus on homework is a luxury not every student can afford. Along with taking college-level science and math classes, 12th-grader Jacob Wainio washes dishes at a restaurant called The Up North Lodge, in Gwinn, Michigan, about three times a week for minimum wage. He uses the money to go out with friends, pay for the expenses on his car, and save up for college.

“Some days when I’m working during the week or when I work on Sundays, I’ll come into school tired,” he says. “But I’ve just got to make the most of it.”

“We used to get overwhelmed with the number of people wanting summer jobs,” Miller says, but now he gets just a handful of applicants. “I don’t know what teenagers do all summer.”

Some companies have raised wages and tried other tactics to attract older teen workers. McDonald’s, for example, announced that it will expand its tuition-reimbursement program. Staffers who work for at least 90 days will be eligible to get as much as $2,500 a year for college or trade school. Workers used to have to work nine months for $700 in reimbursements.

Some people say unemployed teens are missing out. They argue that working gives teens extra cash and valuable life experiences. A recent study released by Drexel University in Philadelphia found that teens who have summer jobs are more likely to earn higher wages in the future. Plus, having a job early in life can teach financial responsibility, such as how to balance a bank account and pay taxes.

However, other studies show that working more than 20 hours a week during the school year can hurt students in school by tiring them out and leaving less time for studying.

Still, giving up work to focus on homework is a luxury not every student can afford. Along with taking college-level science and math classes, 12th-grader Jacob Wainio washes dishes at a restaurant called The Up North Lodge, in Gwinn, Michigan, about three times a week for minimum wage. He uses the money to go out with friends, pay for the expenses on his car, and save up for college.

“Some days when I’m working during the week or when I work on Sundays, I’ll come into school tired,” he says. “But I’ve just got to make the most of it.”