Posted on 06/10/2008 8:24:34 AM PDT by Turret Gunner A20
Chances are they probably aren't working. And who can you thank for that ... the government.
Researchers at Northeaster University estimate that summer 2008 will be "the worst in post-World War II history" for teen summer employment. Only about one third of American teenagers will have a summer job and the rates are even lower for low-income and minority teens.
So why is this? One of the main reasons is because of government mandated wage increases. Economic researchers show, yet again, that increasing the minimum wage destroys jobs for low-skilled workers and does nothing to fight "poverty." For every 10% increase in the minimum wage, employment for high school dropouts and black teenagers falls by 8.5% ... and in the past 11 months alone, the US government has increased the minimum wage by more than twice that amount. But the government always knows best ... right?
WHAT'S YOUR TEENAGER UP TO THIS SUMMER?
Chances are they probably aren't working. And who can you thank for that ... the government.
Researchers at Northeaster University estimate that summer 2008 will be "the worst in post-World War II history" for teen summer employment. Only about one third of American teenagers will have a summer job and the rates are even lower for low-income and minority teens.
So why is this? One of the main reasons is because of government mandated wage increases. Economic researchers show, yet again, that increasing the minimum wage destroys jobs for low-skilled workers and does nothing to fight "poverty." For every 10% increase in the minimum wage, employment for high school dropouts and black teenagers falls by 8.5% ... and in the past 11 months alone, the US government has increased the minimum wage by more than twice that amount. But the government always knows best ... right?
The only teens I know who are not working are the ones whose parents have spoiled them and do not make them work or the ones whose parents do not make them get out of bed. Overall almost every teen I know is working.
You pasted it twice.
12 million cheap, illegal laborers also plays a role.
teens cannot work in California due to the illegals taking their jobs.
A BIG role.
Yep. Why should somebody hire Bobby or Suzie when they can hire Pedro or Conchita to landscape their yard or wash the dishes, pay them less, and not have to listen to any backtalk about how “like, omg, this sucks?”
}:-)4
My 17 year old sister is working 2 jobs this summer.
I, at 22, am taking 6 courses at Uni...fair trade I think, since it’s about 35 credit hours + homework.
My dad bought me a lawnmower when I was 13. Paid him back in two weeks and never had to borrow another nickel from him again - even for college.
He lucked out this summer though, & found a job a Stanford U as a paid intern.
Gotta work on my daughter, now.
My two daughters (14 and 15) are working as mother’s helpers to a mom up the street with an 8 month old, 22 month old and a 3 1/2 year old. They play with and watch the kids and help mom do light housework around the house. Mom pays them $15.00/hour, which they split. THAT mom is just about in seventh heaven to have some help, and THIS mom is happy my kids are growing their own money tree - and not picking off mine.
They get the backtalk. They just don't understand it.
I take it that they only counted on-the-books employment.
I’m going to go against the grain on this one. If the kids want to work, that’s cool, but honestly, they’re going to be wage slaves with no summer break the rest of their lives. I don’t see the problem with letting them relax and have fun in the summer. My best summer memories certainly aren’t bagging groceries.
I'm not working, but I'm taking a boatload of summer courses. I could have resumed my paid internship, but taxes, gas prices, and reduced financial aid would have eaten every penny of my earnings.
My sister, though, is in a paid internship in DC.
You have my sympathies. Due to the compressed nature of summer courses, that load is tough. I'm only taking three courses at my school for a total of nine credit hours (20-25 hours of lecture per week plus homework and studying), mostly because I could not go over the ten credit hour limit without a signature from my dean, and I didn't want to push myself too hard...my next two semesters will be sufficiently challenging, and I will need some downtime to rest.
I never had a job until I went to college. I did try to get a job at a local ice cream parlor, but they didn’t hire me.
I also cut grass, to earn a bit of spending money.
We just didn’t need that much money, most of the things we did to keep ourselves occupied were free — hiking through the woods, playing softball, kickball, and street hockey, building tree forts, riding bikes, reading, hanging around the pool.
My daughter (15) has to do 50 hours of community service in order to graduate (MD state mandate), am I happy about this? HELL NO! She should be out working a real job getting paid real money.
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