Teen Unemployment in the United States
By Shelby Cieszki
There are multiple responsibilities teenagers have these
days. Cell phones, gasoline and car insurance, and going out with friends all
cost money. Not to mention the long lists of wants each of us have. At what
point should a teenager become responsible for their own things? Whenever they
would stable enough to do so, or when their parents say so? But what are the
changes of high-school aged teen to get a job?
The outlook for jobs is not as secure for teenagers as they
are for unemployed adults. While the nation’s unemployment rate is currently
between 7% and 8%, the unemployment rate of teenagers actively looking for a
job is at 24.5%. Employers that offer part time jobs are not as actively hiring
teenagers in years past because of the opportunity cost that comes with hiring
someone under eighteen. When you hire a high-school aged person, the
opportunity cost to the company is the restrictions they face due to child
labor laws. An employer for a fast food place would much prefer to hire one
twenty year old, which can work in all positions and work all day for minimum
wage; versus one high schooler, who can only work certain hours in certain
positions for the same pay. The human capital that teenagers can provide is not
always considered enough.
The scarcities of jobs available to teenagers come into
effect as well. Whereas these days more and more students are looking into
getting apart time job to support their pseudo economic freedom, less companies
are hiring. Companies must try and make it though by trading-off a well staffed
company for a short staffed one in order to save money.
But not only do
companies suffer these tradeoffs, but the teens looking for jobs as well.
Working a job would meant that they would have less time to spend with friends,
playing a sport, or just doing what they want to do. The opportunity cost of
not being able to do whatever you want to when you want to, is getting paid to
do something (that you may or may not want to do). That money is the incentive
for teens to apply for any job, that starts the fire under to actively seek a
job. With money, they can get a car, new video games, or clothes. It’s clear
that we have a nation full of teenagers that want jobs, because we have a
nation full of people that want things.
But, what can we do when we have a nation full of wants and
no way to satisfy those wants? The scarcities, as stated before, come into
play. Teenagers, just like adults in the United States, must face tough
economic times and an even tougher job market. In order to get a job teens will
have to face many tradeoffs, and with that they have to analyze the opportunity
costs, just as any adult would in seeking a job.
Gralla, Joan. "Teen Unemployment Persists
In Summer 2012, As Teens Compete With Adults For Low-Wage Jobs." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington
Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2013. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/16/teen-unemployment-summer-2012_n_1602254.html.
"High Teen Unemployment Could Hurt Future
Job Growth - US News and World Report." US
News & World Report | News & Rankings | Best Colleges, Best Hospitals,
and more. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2013. http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/03/15/high-teen-unemployment-could-hurt-future-job-growth.
"Unemployment
rate: Recovery leaves teens behind - CSMonitor.com." The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com.
N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.
<http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/new-economy/2012/0406/Unemployment-rate-Recovery-leaves-teens-behind>.
Unemployment for adults is high and they do need the jobs more than teens but teens should not be overlooked because they are younger than the adults, especially if they are only juniors and seniors who trying to save up for college as well. This to me just doesn't seem right to take away the chance for those kids to save money so they can go to college.
ReplyDeleteI believe teens should have equal opportunity in places such as grocery stores and restaurants as adults. Teens need to make money for college, insurance, or even for a struggling family. I do believe adults should have more advantage in office jobs, but teens should have an equal opportunity or advantage in fast food, grocery, and manual labor so they can go to college so in the future teens wont need to compete for the jobs they do.
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ReplyDeleteI understand that teenagers want jobs and that it is important for them to have jobs in order to pay for things such as insurance, gasoline, clothes, etc.etc. It is understandable, though, that the adults are picked over teenagers. Yes, teenagers may need the money to provide for their families or to help save up for college, but adults are almost always independent and need the money to pay for everything they need such as food, electricity, their bills, car, gasoline, insurance and more. Perhaps they even need the job to help pay back their student loans. So, I think that teenagers should be able to get jobs, but it is understandable that jobs hire adults over teens, not only because adults are able to work more positions for longer, but because they generally have more responsibilities.
ReplyDeleteI find teen unemployment an interesting concept, mostly because it seems (to me, at least) to have the potential to be pretty inaccurate. Adult unemployment rates are very straightforward because virtually all adults need a job to survive. However, teenagers live at home, have all their essentials provided for, and survive perfectly well without employment. Because of this, I feel like many teenagers don’t want jobs, and therefore could be counted in the ‘unemployed’ despite not being unable to find work. While this in no way belittles the unemployment you show, and I do feel that this is a problem, but it intrigues me that the numbers may be artificially inflated.
ReplyDeleteEquality does not just happen among races it must happen through all society. What I mean by this is teenagers should have the same chance as getting a job as an adult would. A teenager may need the job just as much as an adult would. The teenager could be paying rent for their parents or to put food on the table. The adult in the household could be unable to work and the job is forced onto the child. While, there are risks with hiring a child there are also risks with hiring adults. Some adults may only be able to work certain hours or may not be able to accomplish some jobs. For these reasons, I believe teenagers should be offered the same chance at receiving a job as an adult.
ReplyDeleteIn the world today many kids our having trouble finding jobs but I don't feel that it's such a big deal, because adults are the people that really need them. Yes us teens need money to spend on gas phones and other "necessities" but when it all comes down to it the adults should be of higher concern and not so much the teens. Yes more and more teenagers are becoming responsible for more payments around the house and should have equality when it comes to getting a job, but adults should be the first pick over teens.
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