Matheson 1

Maeve Matheson

Mrs. Cramer

Comp Pd. 7

5 March 2021

Teens Employment

On average, teenagers report the highest rates of unemployment. Many teens are

understandably focused on all the aspects of high school including not only the work, but the

experience. However, there are many benefits that teens can gain from having a part time job that

does not have to take away from the other work and activities they are focused on. Many of these

strengths are also not typically found or learned in high school alone. It is extremely beneficial

for teens to have a job in high school because they are able to learn helpful skills and become

better prepared for their future.

Having a high school job also gives teens the opportunity to earn and spend their own

money. Nearly 30% of high school students are employed in a job for at least a portion of the

school year (J. Davis). Having their own earnings can help younger adults to appreciate its value

and the hard work it takes to get it. This way, students are putting more thought into what they

are spending their money on and basing it in what is most important to them. There are also

several long-term benefits that can arise from earning and income early on. Youth can begin

important saving and investment accounts as soon as they first start to earn money, benefiting

them in the future. Teens learn to spend responsibly, helping them practice money and budgeting

skills that will be helpful in their adult lives.

As beneficial as having a high school job really is, there are many that argue otherwise.

People often argue that having a job as a teen could take their focus away from their current
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schoolwork. However, even though schoolwork if idealistically the most important things for a

high school student to focus on, having a job in addition to this work can actually increase a

student’s grades and work ethic. A teen having newfound motivation thanks to a part-time job is

likely to transfer that motivation to other things that are important in helping them to succeed,

especially school assignments. This being said, a job can push students to work harder in all

areas.

Another argument certain people may make is that spending time at a job as a teen will

take away from their high school experience. This argument is often made by students who don’t

yet want a job, or parents worried their kids won’t get the same experience they did. And

although the high school experience is one of the most important times of your life, it is all about

the time where young adults are growing up and getting ready for the real world, and what better

way to do this than have a job to prepare you for some bigger experiences. There are ways for

teens to have a healthy balance between work, school, and free time. Many jobs common

amongst teens are only part time, leaving lots of space for activities they want to partake in. This

also helps to practice good time management which will be helpful to them in their futures also.

It has been proven that having a job in high school is linked to increased chances in youth

graduating high school. A good balance between work and school can help a student to gain

skills in areas they may not acquire from only the high school environment. For example,

communication and customer service skills are common to learn in typical part time jobs, that

will be helpful for almost any potential career in the future. Teens with this type of experience

are also less likely to be involved in criminal and juvenile activity. Summer and part time jobs

have been shown to decrease incidents of violence by disadvantaged youth by 43% (Heller).

Avoiding this keeps youth on the right track for graduating, continuing education, and
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succeeding in future employment. When a teen is motivated to take on a part time job

experience, it is likely that they will be just as motivated to do well and graduate successfully.

It is more beneficial than not for teens to have a job in high school because they are able

to acquire helpful skills and become better prepared for their future. There are so many ways that

jobs can help students prepare for their adult lives, and numerous skills that they will need

including increased work ethic, time management, and money management. Teens may be the

most likely to be unemployed, however the ones that are have many advantages for their futures.
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Works Cited

J. Davis, School Enrollment and Work Status: 2011, U.S. Census Bureau, on the internet

at www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acsbr11-14pdf

Heller, Summer Jobs Reduce Violence Among Disadvantaged Youth, Science, on the

internet at https://science.sciencemag.org/content/346/6214/1219