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Why don't teens have jobs?

Admiral Beez

Admiral Beez

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My kids are both teens under 18. I ask them both, why don't you get a job, and they say none of their classmates have jobs. My wife, who works in a high school says the same, few kids have jobs. Why is this? Yes, some will volunteer, but I'm referring to p/t jobs for money.

I was born in the 70s, had my Toronto Star paper route when I was about 13 I think, up at 5am on Saturdays, building the paper and delivering it, etc. At 14 or 15 I got my first "real" job as a busboy at the Franklin House in Streetsville , riding my bicycle in all weathers from our house at Derry Road and Winston Churchill. Then we moved to Toronto's beach(es) area when I was 16, and worked at the Shoppers Drug Mart at Main and Danforth from then until I left for university at 19, where I managed the university store in Ottawa. I have always been working, so it perplexes me why young people today aren't, unless they're desperate I suppose.

I can't accept these articles saying kids have less time, https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/06/why-so-few-teenagers-have-jobs-anymore.html as I see my kids spending hours on their devices or just bored, walking around the house looking for something to do.

And no, I'm no Boomer, so I suppose we need an "Ok Gen-X'r" dismissive, but what's with the young people not working for money?
 
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Admiral Beez said:
My kids are both teens under 18. I ask them both, why don't you get a job, and they say none of their classmates have jobs. My wife, who works in a high school says the same, few kids have jobs. Why is this? Yes, some will volunteer, but I'm referring to p/t jobs for money.

I was born in the 70s, had my Toronto Star paper route when I was about 13 I think, up at 5am on Saturdays, building the paper and delivering it, etc. At 14 or 15 I got my first "real" job as a busboy at the Franklin House in Streetsville , riding my bicycle in all weathers from our house at Derry Road and Winston Churchill. Then we moved to Toronto's beach(es) area when I was 16, and worked at the Shoppers Drug Mart at Main and Danforth from then until I left for university at 19, where I managed the university store in Ottawa. I have always been working, so it perplexes me why young people today aren't, unless they're desperate I suppose.

I can't accept these articles saying kids have less time, https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/06/why-so-few-teenagers-have-jobs-anymore.html as I see my kids spending hours on their devices or just bored, walking around the house looking for something to do.

And no, I'm no Boomer, so I suppose we need an "Ok Gen-X'r" dismissive, but what's with the young people not working for money?
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I'm not far off your age (middle aged); and didn't get my first job til age 19. I did volunteer (tutoring children to read and for environmental causes)

My parents and teachers had a clear focus for me which was university, study hard, focus, don't distract yourself.

I think its important to say for people who in an earlier era weren't post-secondary focused, many didn't even finish High School.

That was my parents who both left home, and school to work full-time at 16. In turn, they had had part-time employment since 12.

Different era, different focus.

Let's also add, kids from affluent homes, who were university bound, even decades ago worked less and worked later during their High School years, on average.

Simple reason, neither they, nor their families needed the money.

For the most part, kids weren't working because they loved it; they were working because they/their family needed the money, because they were going to go to work full-time soon, and needed the experience, and because their
studies weren't a priority.

When you switch that to kids who live in more comfortable surroundings, whose families do not need a dime brought in by their teens, who are far more focused not only on getting their teens through High School but on to elite
universities and programs, you naturally see an erosion of early-age employment.

Having said all that; go to your area McDonald's....not to eat that drek, but to look at the age of the staff. You'll still find plenty of teens w/jobs.

The distinction is that their parents (those of the teens with jobs) don't make as much money as you, their kids don't get access to the same material stuff; and may not get help from mom/dad w/college costs, IF, they get to go to college.

As such, just as with generations before, they're out hustling.

You work because you Need to; then because its creates a clear Advantage (resume, college application)for you; and maybe, lastly, because its the social-norm in your peer group (way to hang out w/friends)

Admiral, your kids are comfy (you did right by them); they don't need the job for the next phase of their life as planned (college); and their friends aren't working..........why would they want a job?

***

In fairness, in my case, I was living w/my dad in my teens, and as he was from an era where men didn't know how to cook; or do many other domestic things; I learned that stuff at an early age and did most of it from same.

But I charged him, LOL.....$25 per week, plus $25 lunch money per week; and I got to control the grocery budget since I did the shopping. That was on top of 'allowance'.

That was what, hmm, almost 30 years ago.......so about $90 per week in today's money.

Entrepreneurialism comes in different forms...
 
It's been 10 years since I was last a teenager, but I still remember my first ever part-time job when I was 17 working at a grocery store. It was a store that many of the people from my high school worked at, and got their friends into it. There were also teens from other nearby schools as well. It was a relatively fun environment back in those days. Felt pretty much like a hang out with people around my age, as they often got the younger people to take care of the "closing" shifts during the week. And you got to make money which was amazing back then as it was pretty much all disposable income.

Some of my favourite purchases were a Canon point-and-shoot digital camera, and an iPod. Yes, back in 2007-09-ish, people still had these separate devices as smart phones weren't quite as powerful or prevalent yet lol.
 
Northern Light said:
Having said all that; go to your area McDonald's....not to eat that drek, but to look at the age of the staff. You'll still find plenty of teens w/jobs.
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No, I see the vast majority are middle aged South Asian women. Same as at any Tim Hortons in the GTA, mostly middle aged South Asian women.
 
Admiral Beez said:
No, I see the vast majority are middle aged South Asian women. Same as at any Tim Hortons in the GTA, mostly middle aged South Asian women.
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You know, you made me look up where the nearest McDs is to cabbagetown, and I see almost none; the nearest appears to be Bloor/Sherbourne.

I don't spend much time in Fast Food places given a choice, but I do from time to time, and usually see a fair few teens.

Tim's has always tended to be an exception as they favour F/T staff more than most.
 
Admiral Beez said:
No, I see the vast majority are middle aged South Asian women. Same as at any Tim Hortons in the GTA, mostly middle aged South Asian women.
Click to expand...

Of course it is going to be middle/older South Asian women - those who will bear the lowest wages and "rough" hours. Tweens will likely gravitate to other P/T sales jobs.

AoD
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
Of course it is going to be middle/older South Asian women - those who will bear the lowest wages and "rough" hours. Tweens will likely gravitate to other P/T sales jobs.

AoD
Click to expand...

Also depends on the time of day; if one is going in at 7am, and seeing workers on a 6-10 or 6-1pm shift, rather unlikely those could be kids in school.

The time to measure for that is the 4pm-10pm shifts and daytime weekends.
 
I think its an interesting topic, how some areas/age groups have lots of younger kids working, and some dont. I doubt you would see teenagers working downtown in a fast food place or maybe in sales. But if you go a bit further our, East York as an example, you'll probably see more teenagers. I think it all depends on the area and the economic state of the family.

I was born in the 90's in east york/beaches area and I have had a job since I was 13, I was a ref for a soccer league and then when I turned 16 I got my NLS and became I lifeguard which I did all through school and through university. My parents really pushed me to get a job even though I didnt really need one, but rather for the experience. I would say that most of my friends didnt have jobs during the school year either and most didnt even have summer jobs
 
With winter coming, expect to see the kids shovelling snow for compensation.

winteriscoming.jpg
 
When I was growing up (as the ice was still receding), I had my first part time job at 15 (store gopher/cart retriever) then on to pumping gas and then delivery for a restaurant. A lot of the jobs my generation did simply aren't available anymore but, then again, we didn't have the proliferation of coffee shop/fast food joints. From my observations outside of the urban area, I think the prominence of first generation immigrant employees at some of these places is fair, but also older workers (at least in smaller centres). I haven't been in a MacDs for a while so can't comment.
When out kid was in high school then off to university, we decided that her 'job' was to excel so she could make enough to take care of our sorry aged butts when the time comes. We could afford to do that. Summer jobs only.
 
re: University - keep in mind that sky high tuition and living expenses relative to entry level P/T wages is a relatively new phenomenon of the past two decades. Boomers and early Gen-xers had it easy in that regard.

AoD
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
re: University - keep in mind that sky high tuition and living expenses relative to entry level P/T wages is a relatively new phenomenon of the past two decades. Boomers and early Gen-xers had it easy in that regard.
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My kids‘ tuition and residence will be fully paid for through RESPs, and they live for free. If anything, they have it much easier than this Gen-xer ever did.
 
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