Jul 2, 2018 - Economy
America's teens aren't working
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
America's teens are no longer working at the rate of their parents, as the recession-driven collapse in the teen workforce has collided with new priorities for our nation's youth, according to a new Pew Research Center report.
Driving the data, per Pew's Drew DeSilver:
- "Fewer low-skill, entry-level jobs (such as sales clerks or office assistants) than in decades past."
- "More schools ending in late June and restarting before Labor Day."
- "More students enrolled in high school or college over the summer."
- "More teens doing unpaid community service work as part of their graduation requirements or to burnish their college applications."
- "More students taking unpaid internships, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t count as being employed."
Where they're working: Almost 2.1 million of the estimated 6.2 million teens who were employed last July worked in "accommodation and food services," compared with 1.9 million in July 2000.
Where they're not: Roughly 1.3 million teens worked in the retail sector last July, compared with more than 2 million in July 2000.
