Teens working part-time jobs at highest rate since 2009 in ‘perfect storm’ of economic conditions, stability

More high-schoolers are turning to part-time work these days than millennials did when they were teenagers, according to reports.

Roughly 250,000 young teens are now working part-time jobs, compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic, The Washington Post reported. Thirty-seven percent of 16-19-year-olds were employed or searching for jobs in 2023, which is the highest rate since 2009. 

Experts say the up-tick in working teenagers is not just a response to economic conditions, but also because Gen-Z was craving stability and freedom in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Patrick Gourley, an associate professor at the University of New Haven's Pompea College of Business, told Fox News Digital that the reason for the shift was not so much cultural, but a result of the current economic conditions.

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"This is something that economists have known for a long time, that teenage labor force participation rate is highly procyclical, meaning it moves with the economy," he said. For millennials, he said, when they were between the ages of 16 and 19, the economy was "terrible," due to the 2008 recession. 

He said this increased education rates and added teenagers were more likely to complete school during a time of weak economic conditions. The Washington Post reported that the number of young people working has decreased continuously since the 1970s, as efforts to reduce the rate of high school dropouts took effect. 

"As the economy gets better, then you expect more teenagers to move directly into the labor force and seek employment rather than pursing higher education or finishing their high school degree," Gourley added. 

Gourley added that the minimum wage in some states has gone up a lot in the last ten years. He also argued there were a lot of openings for young people after older workers left the labor market during the pandemic. 

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"One of the things that happened during COVID, is a lot of older workers left the labor market that wouldn’t have otherwise. You had a lot of workers over 55 years old that exited the labor market and never came back," he said. 

Jason Dorsey, author of "Zconomy: How Gen Z Will Change the Future of Business," seemed to echo Gourley's argument, adding that as older generations were leaving the labor market, it opened up a lot of opportunities for young people, specifically with entry level positions. 

He also told Fox News Digital that Gen Z was searching for stability and therefore, turning to the labor market. 

"Gen Z is really seeking stability and the desire to earn their own money, which also helps to provide them with stability because they've been through so much instability," Dorsey said, adding that it was a "perfect storm" for younger teens to enter the labor force, as inflation remains somewhat high. 

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Dorsey said Gen Z teens were starting to act like the baby-boomer generation through their desire to "enter the workforce," have a savings account, and have as little debt as possible. 

He said some young people might be choosing part-time work over extracurricular activities, but also some were choosing to do it all. 

Experts also noted the role of the gig economy and its growth, which made part-time roles more "lucrative," Dr. Jessica Kriegel, Chief Scientist of Workplace Culture at Culture Partners, told Fox News Digital.

Dorsey said the impact of gig-economy jobs as it relates to Gen Z's turn to the workforce was unclear. "Are they delivering pizzas, are they doing on-demand services, what kinds of things are they doing that are making up the part-time," he said. "Gen Z is really the first generation that does not remember a time before the gig economy."

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Kriegel said remote work was also freeing up time for teens, even as the service industry has been turning to younger teens for work. 

"Remote options are also freeing up time for some teens, balancing academics, activities, jobs, and social lives appears less zero-sum than it used to be." She also said there seemed to be "less stigma" around teenagers working jobs alongside school and extracurricular activities. 

Jason Greer, Founder and President of Greer Consulting, told Fox News Digital that the increase in teenagers in the work force was a cultural shift, but not in the way many believe. He said many teens wanted to contribute to the "economic well-being of their families." 

"Parents are working multiple jobs just to make ends meet, and their children see the strain they are under in terms of paying bills. They want to help, and after school jobs allow them to contribute to their families," he said.

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Greer added that students might be less engaged with after-school activities due to the rising cost of higher education. 

"Historically, high school students engaged in after-school activities in order to augment their resumes, so they could be accepted into college. With college enrollment at an all-time low due to the cost of higher education, high school-age students are preparing themselves for life after high school by getting an early jump into the job market," he told Fox News Digital.