Pros and Disadvantages of Teenager Part-Time Employment

Source:jobs for 15 year olds

You may be amazed that many teenagers have part-time job opportunities. Several may have job opportunities as "baby sitters" (Check out:fifteen babysitting), work for their family's businesses or do yard services. Many work for employers in retail store, fast-food and in other ventures. Based on the August, 2011, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Dept. Of Labor, 25.4% of teenagers, ages 16 to 19 held part-time or fully committed jobs. About 10% of 15 year olds worked and predictably, this amount increases with age, specific to the laws established for child labour. The minimal age for non-agricultural job is 16. However, 14 and 15-year-olds may be employed for certain periods, outside of school hours, in jobs that do not interfere with their health and well-being. Teenagers 16 and older may work at any time of the day for limitless hours. The percentage of working teens increase during the summer months, and more would work if the jobs were available during this current, poor job market place. (Read more:15 year old in summer)

In 2008, I carried out an anonymous questionnaire on teens in high school and in university freshmen classes. Among other information sought, were questions on their work knowledge as teens. Lets look at my findings reported by high school and first-year college students, comprising 178 high school and 155 college students. For the first year college students, six out of ten students (60%) indicated they had part-time employment during their high school years, with a slightly higher percent of males compared to females recalling work experiences. Very lazy teens? I don't think so. The data speaks for itself.

The questions for high school students were slightly different, in that I further investigated how many hours worked a week; (1) 10 hours or less; (2) 11 to 15 hours; (3) 16 to 20 hours and (4) 21 hours or more.

First lets glance at the percentage of high school students who worked part-time jobs. Males: 50%; Females: 25%; Total Sample: 38%

Now let's take a look at how many hours the high school students work. Males: 1. 52%; 2. 23%; 3. 11% 4. 14%

Females: 1. 78%; 2. 18%; 3. 4%; 4. 0%

Obviously, one can surmise that males worked part-time jobs at a higher percentage than females, as well as worked much longer hours. There appeared to be no clear pattern as teens progressed from freshman to senior status in the number of hours worked, except for slight acceleration in hours for females. Contemporary teens are certainly not lazy.

(More info:good jobs for 16 year olds)

 Negatives for part-time teenager employees: 

Numerous studies have been done to check out the negative influence of part-time work on teens. Some findings reported increased behavioral problems, insufficient sleep, not enough leisure, propensity toward drug use, declines in school performance, plus increased psychological stress. Study consistently reported a relationship between the number of hours worked and downsides to the teenager. The greater hours a week a teenager works above ten hours per week, the greater the perils for teens.

 Advantages for part-time teen employees: 

The benefits reported could possibly be factors such as greater interest in school, less delinquency, increase in internal motivation, development of work values, adult supervision (often with both parents working, the part-time job affords the teen supervision), and less depression.

 In sum: 

Look around you whenever you when you go to the shopping mall, the grocery store, the car wash, the movie theater, the restaurants, and other venues; and you may observe teens working. We need to monitor the positive and negative effects of teen work.

Additional info:16 year olds in summer