Fewer Teens Are Holding Part-Time and Summer Jobs

As enrollment in advanced placement classes and extracurricular activities continues to rise, more parents are discouraging their kids from getting after school and summer jobs. According to a Good Housekeeping article, only 44 percent of teens are holding down jobs in addition to their other responsibilities, a dramatic decrease from the past 60 years. The biggest surprise may be that those kids who are juggling a part time job along with school and other activities might just be more successful than those who don't.

According to studies performed at the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University, work experience as a teenager has a positive benefit in terms of higher wages and annual earnings into their early to mid twenties. Colleges also like to see work experience on the resumes of their prospective students. According to the Princeton Review, work and extracurricular activities are important factors in reviewing applications for prospective students. Their website (www.princetonreview.com) says that an after school job and/or extracurricular activities show that "you're learning to juggle, prioritize, and manage your time -- skills you'll definitely need in college."

Statistically, girls are more likely to work part time and summer jobs than boys, and, ironically, lower income teens are less likely to gain employment than middle and upper class teens. Studies are underway to determine whether the increase in jobless teens is due to a shortage of employers or a reduction in the number of teens who are seeking after school and summer employment. Some believe that competition among immigrants, older workers who are postponing retirement and working longer, and older college students may be forcing teens out of the workforce.

Unless your name is Donald Trump, your son or daughter will probably have to get a job once he or she is in college. The best way to prepare them may be to allow them to get a part-time job while they're still in high school. Though parents should set up rules concerning grades and other responsibilities, the extra years of experience may mean a higher salary once college begins, greater social skills when the job includes dealing with the public, and the time and money management skills are an invaluable lesson that can take time to master. Learning those lessons in high school, while they're still living at home, may mean the difference between success and failure during their critical college years.