Some students face challenges while trying to get a job, which prevents them from having the experience they need. The employment percentage for working high school students is 22.5%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

“In October 2023, the proportion of the population that was employed was 51.7 percent for people 16 to 24,” according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Teen employment has gone down in recent years, and some aren’t surprised. Before students can learn to drive, schools take students to assemblies to show what awaits them on the road. And to some students, that makes driving seem like a burden on their parents to drive them everywhere. 

“I don’t have a car, and I don’t want to bother my parents with driving me everywhere,” sophomore Mason Hilke said. 

Teen employment provides experience and life lessons that teach youth community members important skills like punctuality, respect, kindness, staying on task, and social skills. 

Many different skills are needed for every kind of job, and learning them early on is helpful in the long run. 

Some students are taking advantage of learning opportunities early to develop those skills. 

“I wanted money and the experience, so I wanted to start early, and the opportunity was there, so I took it,” EAA retail worker Rosa Lester said.