Are Summer Jobs Still an Option for Teenagers?
- BY FGA
This summer, there’s more than the sound of cicadas in the air.
If you had a summer job when you were younger, you probably have some strong memories of the friends you made, the lessons you learned—or at least the money you made and what it allowed you to do. Today, with summer nearly here, you may be surprised to learn how much the culture of summer work has changed since you were a teenager, and how some states are actively standing in the way.
As recently as 1990, 75 percent of 16- to 24-year-olds held a summer job. That number has been on the decline for the past 30 years, down to about 60 percent today—and that’s just for the summer seasons.
Sadly, in many states, the Left is actively discouraging the life lessons that come with a first job, and accusing policymakers who see the value of work of wanting children to be forced into the mines.
But common sense is still winning out in many states. In Alabama, Rep. Susan DuBose (R-Hoover) and Senator Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) led the fight to successfully remove work permits—government permission slips that stood in the way of after-school jobs or summer work for teenagers. Alabama has the lowest youth workforce participation rate in the nation, so these legislators’ work to remove government barriers to work is especially important.
Oregon and Florida, opposite states politically, have both already seen the value in not requiring teenagers to seek out permission from someone other than their parents to get a job. Permits delay or eliminate employment opportunities for teenagers by allowing state or education bureaucrats to retain veto authority over a decision that should be between a teenager and his or her parents.
Federal labor law was never meant to require teenagers to get permission before getting a job—just to protect them from the most dangerous jobs and hours that would affect their health and well-being. Permits are entirely a state creation and entirely unnecessary.
Some states take it way too far. For example, Pennsylvania requires teenagers who have already graduated high school to obtain a work permit. Michigan requires teenagers to obtain work permits if they’re homeschooled, each time they switch jobs, and even during the summer and for unpaid volunteer work.
Even if there weren’t a major labor crisis in our country, denying teenagers these opportunities does them—and our country—a disservice. A study earlier this year found that many employers are reluctant to hire recent college grads, believing them to be “unprepared” for the workforce. Work provides structure, accountability, and growth opportunities. We should be encouraging this when Americans are teenagers, not waiting until they’re in their 20s and leaving college.
Research shows that individuals in their twenties with teenage work experience have annual salaries that are 22 percent higher than those without teenage work experience. And teenage work leads to less property crime and drug use and higher graduation rates.
At the end of the day, parents know better than bureaucrats what is best for their children, and states should allow teenagers the freedom to find a job, earn a part-time income, and learn valuable skills.
