NEET<\/strong>s, neither employed nor in education or training. While the number of young people who are NEETs has declined, there is concern that \u201cwithout assistance, economically inactive young people won\u2019t gain critical job skills and will never fully integrate into the wider economy or achieve their full earning potential\u201d (DeSilver, 2016, para. 3). In Europe, where the rates of NEETs are persistently high, there is also concern that having such large numbers of young adults with little opportunity may increase the chances of social unrest.\r\n\r\nIn the United States, in 2015, nearly 17% of 16 to 29 year-olds were neither employed nor in school, according to data Desilver (2016) obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down slightly from 2013 when approximately 18.5% of this age group fit the category. As noted in Table 7.2, more women than men find themselves unemployed and not in school. Additionally, most NEETs have high school or less education, and Asians are less likely to be NEETs than any other ethnic group.\r\n\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4912\/2020\/05\/22160344\/work31-208x300.png\")
\r\nFigure 7.4.3.<\/strong> The American NEETs: young people (ages 16-19) who are neither employed nor in education or training in 2015.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n
\u00a0Gender Differences in Careers<\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\nGender also has an impact on career choices. Despite the rise in the number of women who work outside of the home, there are some career fields that are still pursued more by men than women. Jobs held by women still tend to cluster in the service sector, such as education, nursing, and child-care worker. While in more technical and scientific careers, women are greatly outnumbered by men. Jobs that have been traditionally held by women tend to have lower status, pay, benefits, and job security (Ceci & Williams, 2007).\r\n\r\nIn recent years, women have made inroads into fields once dominated by males, and today women are almost as likely as men to become medical doctors or lawyers. Despite these changes, women are more likely to have lower-status, and thus less pay than men in these professions. For instance, women are more likely to be a family practice doctor than a surgeon or are less likely to make partner in a law firm (Ceci & Williams, 2007).","rendered":"Working Teens<\/h2>\n
Many adolescents work either summer jobs or during the school year. Holding a job may offer teenagers extra funds, the opportunity to learn new skills, ideas about future careers, and perhaps the true value of money. However, there are numerous concerns about teenagers working, especially during the school year. A long-standing concern is that that it \u201cengenders precocious maturity of more adult-like roles and problem behaviors\u201d (Staff, VanEseltine, Woolnough, Silver, & Burrington, 2011, p. 150). Several studies have found that working more than 20 hours per week can lead to declines in grades, a general disengagement from school (Staff, Schulenberg, & Bachman, 2010; Lee & Staff, 2007; Marsh & Kleitman, 2005), an increase in substance abuse (Longest & Shanahan, 2007), engaging in earlier sexual behavior, and pregnancy (Staff et al., 2011).<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4912\/2020\/05\/04203753\/work-300x295.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Figure 7.4.1.<\/strong> Percentage of U.S. 16- to 19-year-olds who are employed by month, 2018.<\/p>\nTeen employment rates have declined dramatically since 2000. Currently, only about a third of teens work. Since the late 1940s, the start of this data collection, through the 1980s, teen employment followed a predictable pattern\u2014employment was up when the economy was good and fell when the economy was bad, but it typically remained between 46% and 58%. This trend changed following the recession of 1990-91 when teen employment did not recover as usual. Teen employment fell again during the 2001 recession, and even more during and after the 2007-09 recession. Teen employment bottomed out at about 30% in 2010, and while it has edged up slightly, it is still well below pre-recession levels. This trend is not purely American\u2014similar declines in youth employment have been observed in other advanced economies (DeSilver, 2018).<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4912\/2020\/05\/04203830\/work2-267x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Figure 7.4.2.<\/strong> Percentage of 16- to 19-year-olds where are employed by year.<\/p>\nResearch has examined reasons for the decline in teen employment rates since 2000 and has discovered multiple possibilities. There are fewer low-skill, entry-level jobs, such as sales clerks or office assistants, than in decades past. While most industries have seen losses in teen workers, food service is the one industry hiring more teens than in previous decades. Another reason may have to do with changes to the academic calendar. More schools are ending in late June and starting back in late August. A shortened summer break makes finding summer employment challenging. In addition, more students are taking classes over the summer, including getting a head start on college credits. More teens are also completing community service hours, often a requirement for graduation or a bolster to their college applications. Finally, more students are doing unpaid internships, which do not count toward employment statistics (DeSilver, 2018).<\/p>\n
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Why are Fewer Teens Working Summer Jobs?<\/h3>\n