According to an article titled The Early 2000's: a period of declining teen summer employment rates in May 2010 edition of The Monthly Labor Review, teen summer employment is at an all time low of roughly 32.9% in the summer of 2009. Way back in 1948 to 1989, this percentage was 46.3% to 58%.
I was amazed to see the huge difference and wondered "Why"? Are you?
Well turns out there are several reasons according to the article. Much of this steep decline had to do with teens increasing their academic smarts during the summer over working smarts. The article mentioned the increased number of teens going to summer school, with them placing more emphasis on academics rather than summer employment. Why? For many teens it was college entry requirements and the higher difficulty of high school courses. The article further point out that community service now receives greater emphasis. Finally, there were a few more reasons mentioned like the reduced number of federally funded summer jobs, internships and of course the recession.
What stood out to me is how business skills are ranking so low for teens. Working during the summer is a great way to get a taste of the business world. As a WizBizKid, what is your opinion on why teens are working less? And did you get a job this summer or make your own job? Share your ideas and let us know.