Pros and Negatives of Teenager Part-Time Job

Source:jobs for 15 year olds

You could be amazed that numerous teens have part-time job opportunities. Some could have jobs as "baby sitters" (Check out:read more babysitting jobs for 15 year olds), work for their family's businesses or do yard services. Many work for employers in retail industry, fast-food and in other ventures. According to the August, 2011, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Dept. Of Labor, 25.4% of teenagers, age groups 16 to 19 held part-time or fully committed jobs. With regards to 10% of 15 year olds worked and predictably, this amount increases with age, specific to the laws established for youngster labor. The minimum age for non-agricultural employment is 16. However, 14 and 15-year-olds may be employed for particular periods, outside of school hours, in jobs that do not interfere with their health and well-being. Youngsters 16 and older may work at any time of the day for limitless hours. The percentage of working teens increase during the summertime, and more would work if the jobs were available during this current, poor job market. (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 working experience as teenagers. Lets look at my findings reported by high school and first-year university 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 guys than females keeping in mind work experiences. Lazy teens? I don't think so. The data speaks for itself.

The questions for students were slightly different, in that I further investigated the amount of 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 look 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 the number of 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 possibly surmise that males worked part-time jobs at a higher percentage than females, as well as worked lengthier 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 generally not lazy.

(More info:jobs for 16 year olds)

 Disadvantages for part-time teenager workers: 

Many studies have been done to check out the negative effect of part-time work on teens. Some findings reported increased behavioral troubles, insufficient sleep, not enough leisure, propensity toward drug use, declines in school performance, and even increased psychological distress. Researching consistently reported a relationship between the number of hours worked and drawbacks to the teenager. The more hours a week a teenager works above ten hours per week, the greater the perils for teens.

 Advantages of part-time teenager workers: 

The huge benefits reported may 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.

 Conclusion: 

Look around you whenever you when you go to the shopping center, the grocery store, the car wash, the movie theater, the restaurants, and other venues; and you will see teens working. We have to monitor the positive and negative effects of teen employment.

Additional info:summer jobs