Teens are now working in greater numbers than before the 2008-09 financial crisis, when summer and part-time jobs were a more common rite of passage into adulthood, government figures show. They have become especially necessary in the retail, tourism and hospitality industries, which many adults have left behind during the pandemic.
Unemployment among 16- to 19-year-old workers stood at 10.2% in April, down from a 68-year low of 9.6% in May last year, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Overall, about a third of American teens in that age group are now working, as federal data shows.
Many business owners say teens can be difficult to find. They are seeking teen job fairs, making schedules more flexible and increasing training to accommodate and entice young recruits.
For teens, current conditions are shaping up to create one of the best summer job markets in years, complete with more options and, in many cases, better pay.
Makayla McDonald, 17, in Montgomery, Ala., is returning to her lifeguarding job this summer. She first landed a year ago as part of the city’s mayor’s effort to encourage teen work.
“I really like working,” said Ms. McDonald, who splits her paycheck between college savings, church contributions, a fund for a loungewear business she’s going to start, and getting her hair or nails done. expects to spend money. “My mom is a single mom, so I got to see the value of working hard and getting paid for it,” she said.
Last summer, Ms. McDonald worked six days a week in the Alabama heat from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and reminded swimmers to walk, not walk on deck. The job had its challenges – frogs from a nearby creek would sometimes find their way into the pool. Still, he bonded with his coworkers and enjoyed the $10 an hour he earned.
Pre-pandemic, teen employment was declining for five decades. According to economists, automation eliminated many low-paying jobs, while immigrants took over others.
According to Alicia Sasser Modestino, a labor economist who studied the youth workforce, more adults took some jobs, often in part-time positions, to meet the needs after the 2008–09 financial crisis, which are usually similar to teen workers. Was close.
The lives of many teenagers also changed. Extracurricular activities, unpaid internships and resume-building volunteer opportunities filled hours that had previously been spent stocking shelves or scooping ice cream.
For example, Ms. McDonald attends one of the most rigorous high schools in the country, participating in honor societies, student government, debate teams, step teams, softball and various local volunteer positions.
The initial pandemic lockdown pushed teen unemployment to a historic high of 31.9% in April 2020. Now, a tight labor market and rising wages in hourly jobs, which teens are more likely to take, are creating an employment bonanza.
“Adult workers said, ‘I no longer want this crazy low-paying service job that has a weird schedule, few benefits and rude customers,'” Ms. Modestino said. So “employers suddenly turned to youth.”
According to organizers, a recent Saturday summer job fair for teens in Arlington, Va., had nearly 700 attendees, including about 100 parents—a crowd stronger than recent jobs events for adults. The event helped in-person job seekers connect with 30 employers for positions in retail, hospitality, restaurants, summer camps and water parks for the first time since 2019.
McCauley Maisley, an eighth grader who attended the fair, said she’s looking for a job that would let her increase her allowance for trips to Target and CVS and meals with friends.
In addition, “I wanted to find a job looking for experience on the resume as quickly as possible,” she said.
Though she was nervous about negotiating with a representative from the local AMC theatre, she said she plans to apply for a job there when she turns 14 in June. Some would be her first job beyond home- and pet-sitting gigs for relatives and friends.
Itai Ben Aly, a restaurant owner in Houston, said being one’s first employer brings additional responsibilities, but is well worth the investment. The nearly all-teen staff, which he said lured him with a pay increase, made it possible for him to open Badolina, a European-style bakery, last June when he couldn’t find the adult workers he needed.
They adjusted accordingly, expanding a 10-day training process to a month in which their newcomers shadow more experienced workers, learn menus, practice using sales systems and build confidence with customers. .
“We can shape and teach them what is important to us,” said Mr. Ben Ely. He has since promoted the two teenagers he hired to move to leader in Badolina.
Shira Altyn, who is 17, began working in Badolina last summer after the pandemic affected her typical summer plans, such as an annual family trip to Israel. There, she cycled through various responsibilities—cleaning tables, delivering food, and preparing coffee drinks. Her parents and older sister started working at a young age, so the job seemed a natural way to fill time and earn money, she said.
“I love conversation,” said Ms Altyn, who worked at the bakery on weekends when school resumed. Later this month, she also starts a job as a hostess on weekends at Hamsa, one of Mr. Ben’s other restaurants. “A lot of Israelites come; I’ll talk to them in Hebrew, and they’ll be really surprised,” she said.