Recent events in my life have brought about a common right of passage for my son: his first job. His school load is now balanced by cleaning the toilets, stocking shelves and shopping at the local supermarket. Although once common for teenagers, compensated employment has become rarer over the past few years because young and inexperienced workers became uncompetitive due to rising minimum wage. Teens were once again able to find work after the pandemic. This opportunity could disappear when older adults enter the workforce, offering experience and maturity in exchange for artificially increased pay.
The owner of several Texas smoothie shops stated, “Honestly, they’d be our last chance.” Telled MarketAbout teen workers in the beginning of this month. As with many small and large employers, this man has problems hiring adults. He turns instead to teens, despite their inexperience and busy schedules. You are the “why?”The issue of the workforce shortage remains controversial. However, economists believe there are many contributing factors to this phenomenon, such as lifestyle changes made during the pandemic that resulted in a lower cost of living, resistance to health threats and associated mandates and economic assistance from government officials which allowed people to live comfortably without having to work.
John Cochrane, economist at Hoover Institution, said that “two things are known about human behavior. First, people who have more money work less.” Observed last month. Second, workers are more likely to work if there is greater reward for working. Current policies give us a double-whammy. More money but much more will disappear if you work.
Whatever reason it may be, the workforce is in urgent need of skilled workers. There is a shortage of workers willing to work. civilian labor participation rateThe figure is lower than 63.3 percent prior to the pandemic and 61.6 percent at the last figures. This indicates that more Americans aren’t looking for employment. Restaurant Brands International owns Popeye’s, Tim Horton’s, Burger King and Tim Horton’s. They were unable to find workers in some areas, leading to reduced hours of operation and service at certain restaurants. AnnouncementAt the end of October. A November CNBC surveyA half of employees said that their workplaces were understaffed. This puts more pressure on workers who are not adequately staffed. These are employed, helping spur “The Great ResignationThere are many people who quit their job, making the demand for more employees all the more urgent. Teenagers can now take up jobs they have been unable to do in the past.
Teen employment was scarce before the pandemic. Brookings Institution researchers say that teens and young adults still struggle to get traction on the labour market. Not notedIn 2015. In 2015, “Labor force participation continues to decline as does employment rates.”
Economists debated why teenagers had stopped working part time at the fast-food and supermarket restaurants and retail shops that once were a majorstay in adolescence. They all kept coming back to this: Push for higher minimum wagesRecent years have seen inexperienced, young workers priced out the market.
“We find that higher minimum wages are the predominant factor explaining changes in the schooling and workforce behavior of those age 16–17 since 2000,” researchers found in a 2018 paper. Higher minimum wages lead to less teens being in school at the same, but also to fewer teenagers who are employed. This is consistent with an increased focus on education.
Worse, young workers were hit with higher minimum wages years after they entered the workforce, possibly because of delaying entry.
The paper’s authors stated that there is no evidence to suggest higher minimum wage increases have resulted in greater investment in human capital. The evidence suggests that teenagers who are exposed to higher minimum wage levels as teens have negative effects on their long-term earnings.
Many teens, who are not like their parents, desire to work, were able to take advantage of the exclusion from the workforce that occurred during the pandemic. The number of teens who are working is higher than it has been since the time when there were drive-ins, malt shops, and a few other places. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the last time teenagers had a unemployment rate lower than 9.6 per cent was November 1953 when it was 8.6 per cent. reportedThis was August. In August, there has been a decrease in teenage unemployment since the summer. The rose slightlyAfter school was reopened, many adults began to look for work. There are still many opportunities, but they’re not filled.
Many businesses tap teenagers to find adult workers. USA Today reportedLast week. According to the Labor Department, September saw a new record of 10.4 Million job openings.
Teens are being paid more than adults, but employers still struggle to attract adult workers. In Texas, a smoothie entrepreneur makes $15 per hour. This is more than twice the average wage. Minimum statutory requirement. “More that two-thirds his employees are high school graduates, who put in between 10 and 20 hours per week.” AccordingTo Market. My son began at the minimum wage in Arizona, $12.15 an hour. He mops the floors and then returns the carts to the store. After inflation adjustments, this is over 20% more than the minimum wage I received at my high-school job. Because employers must offer higher wages to lure workers, young workers can earn a lot more than they did before. It’s only the children who have the courage to take on these jobs.
“The wages for teens working in small to medium-sized retailers has risen from $9.40 per month to $10.33 per month,” USA Today adds. “In that time, both larger retailers and warehouses as well call-center companies increased the entry-level wages from $10 to $12 up to $15 to $25.”
However, the question is: What happens when the barriers that keep adults from the labour market vanish and teenagers find themselves in competition with skilled and experienced workers? Teens may once more be uncompetitive for artificially raised wages. These teens may be relegated to pre-pandemic levels, priced out of the job market where employers won’t pay the minimum wage young workers deserve.
My son, for now, is content with the job opportunity, even if it’s temporary. I hope that he will have gained the trust and skills necessary to continue working for the company when there are more open jobs. If the law makes it impossible for teens to get this experience, they will not be able to access the job market.