Why it’s harder for high schoolers to seek employment
MCHS student searches for job via Glassdoor (Maxine Salvador, The Puma Prensa)
By Maxine Salvador, A&E editor
Employment rates amongst high schoolers have been falling in the past few decades due to the recent contrast between modern expectations and obligations compared to those of the past. The time when students had open schedules after school to make plans with friends, engage in fun hobbies, or attend public events is drawing to an end as students now fall short on time because of school and fulfilling outside commitments. Studying, homework, and sports have become more demanding, making high schoolers busier than ever before. Despite this, teens are still motivated by much the same reasons to get a job. If anything, students are now more inclined to find a job due to factors such as inflation or saving up for college. The only difference now is the increasing barrier between actually obtaining a job as a high schooler and satisfying employer qualifications.
As the U.S. first began exiting the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, a high demand grew for jobs in retail, restaurants, warehouses, and more across the nation due to the pandemic causing high unemployment rates. While some may assume it’s easy to acquire these jobs again (especially as a high school student) due to Americans preferring jobs from home, it is actually quite the opposite.
According to research by Zippa, an online recruitment service, the percentage of high schoolers working a summer job fell from 51.7% to 36.6% since the year 2000. At the same time, the percentage of employed high schoolers during non-summer months decreased from 43% to 30.5%.
As years go on, online job-hunting websites like Glassdoor, Indeed, and LinkedIn become extremely popular for people to search for jobs they’re interested in and even apply directly through the websites. These platforms are quick and easy ways people can apply for job positions rather than visiting stores in person. However, these strategies may not be the most effective compared to getting a job through networking and having connections with friends and family members because employers have a harder time sensing an applicant’s attitude or personality purely from an online application.
Senior Myrea Heaps sought employment several months ago and heavily struggled to hear back from employers, especially those working in retail. “Originally, I was interested in working at the movies, but it was really hard to find openings,” said Heaps. “I also applied to five boutiques in Santa Rosa that I really wanted to work at, and I visited them in person, but I didn’t end up getting any of those jobs either.”
Smaller businesses like boutiques, local bakeries, shops, and restaurants are less likely to hire a large number of employees, so they usually don’t take many applicants. That is, unless one can receive employment through connections with friends and family members.
Senior Delaney Basham has a part-time job, and she received her position through connections she already made. “I work at Hank's Creekside, which is a small breakfast restaurant, and I got my job because I used to babysit for the owner’s family,” said Basham. “I’ve been working there since I was 14.” Most teens do not acquire jobs as early as 14 in California, although having connections with employers is the exception. “It was relatively easy to find a job because I had already been working with her kids, and [the kids’ mom] trusted me to work at the restaurant she owns.”
Senior Abby Taylor also received employment through family friend connections. “I’ve been babysitting kids from my church since I was 12…Some of the moms at my church have younger kids and they noticed that I was old enough to babysit,” said Taylor. Babysitting is another common job that teens get as a high school student because teens don’t typically apply to babysit unlike restaurant or retail workers. “If I babysit and they like me, then they’ll tell their friends at my church, and then other moms will come ask me to babysit their kids too.”
Having a place to network such as a church allowed Taylor to receive her first babysitting job, as well as to connect with other families to gain even more babysitting opportunities. “It was pretty easy just because I know these people from church and I’ve known them for all of my life,” said Taylor.
However, a high schooler seeking employment for the first time may not yet have the connections that can result in employment, making it harder for teenagers to easily find a job.
Another reason for the declining rates of employed high schoolers is due to employers seeking higher qualifications from applicants. Before 2011, those who worked in restaurants and handled food in California did not need to obtain a California Food Handler Card in order to receive employment. Now, however, in most restaurant settings, businesses prefer an applicant to have one in order to work at their establishment. For many high schoolers, spending the time and money to acquire a food handler’s card is just not possible. Because of this change, high schoolers are less likely to be accepted into restaurants as waiters/waitresses and hosts/hostesses despite restaurants long being one of the most common high school jobs.
Additionally, employers prefer applicants with prior work experience of at least one to two years—especially jobs in retail and restaurant environments. A big reason why high schoolers seek a part-time job while balancing extracurriculars and homework is to gain experience in the workforce. Now, employers want to hire individuals who already have work experience, making it even harder for a young high school student to get a job. This requirement favors those who are 18 years old or older, as they are most likely to have prior work experience or are deemed more trustworthy to be trained with zero work experience due to their maturity and being of legal age.
Regardless of the struggle for high schoolers to acquire jobs, many teens still need one simply because of the money. “I have to pay my monthly car loan. I decided to get a nice car, so I now have that responsibility to pay off my car loans” said Heaps.
Other factors could be saving up money to pay for gas, college tuition, help out family members, or simply just to spend on personal items. These components towards a high schooler’s desire to work persist despite their trouble with finding jobs.
Though the process of seeking employment is not easy, it is not impossible. After many applications and visiting stores in person, Heaps expresses her relief as her struggle to become employed came to an end after obtaining a job at a retail store. “Thankfully I was able to get a job at T.J.Maxx,” said Heaps. “It’s a really fast-paced job and we always get a lot of customers, but at the end of the day, I’m lucky that I even found a job at all.”