Teen unemployment in California is the lowest it’s been since the recession, according to the California Employment Development Department.
The trend of teens working during their high school years had been on the decline before the recession, with the most common reason for not working being pursuit of academic goals.
When the recession hit and older workers began scrambling for any job they could get, it pushed many teens out of the market.
While the unemployment rate rose for all age groups during the recession, it rose more steeply for the 16-19-year-old demographic, according to California Employment Development Department data.
Teen employment rates have traditionally been limited by the restrictions of school schedules and teens lack of work experience, but economic downturns have always played a role in the ability of teens to find employment.
However, when the state’s economy began to expand once again, between February 2013 and February 2018, opening up other opportunities for workers, the teen employment rate began to rise, according to Cal EDD. The economic gains also allow give local government more discretionary spending for summer employment programs for teens.
Teen employment has steadily decreased since its peak in 1979, when almost 60 percent of teens, many of them in high school, worked, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Recessions in 2001 and 2007-09 lowered teen employment rates, and although it appears to be on an upswing, projections point to ‘an even lower teen participation rate by 2024, according to the BLS.
Aside from market forces, trends in parenting and educational demands contribute to the reduced number. More teens attend summer school (from about 10 percent in 1985 to more than 40 percent in 2016), which further limits employment opportunities. Teen employment rates tend to drop during periods of recession, and although they’ve risen along with economic recovery, since the 1980s, they haven’t returned to previous rates.
Although their numbers are lower than before, one thing remains constant: food service is still the largest percentage of teen jobs, with many snagging their first work experiences in fast food restaurants. About 11 percent of those employed in food preparation and service in California in February 2018 were teens, compared to about 7 percent teen participation in sales and related employment. Healthcare had the lowest rate of teen employment, at 1 percent.
