Putting More Teens to Work

At the fitness center where he works in Hiawatha, Kansas, Kacer Knudson does whatever is needed to help keep the gym running smoothly. The 17-year-old high school junior sets up new memberships, checks that the exercise equipment is working, and even mops the floor. But his favorite part of the job is interacting with the facility’s members.

“I like being out in front of people trying to make them happy, just talking to them and explaining what the machines do,” Kacer says.

During the school year, Kacer works about 10 hours a week, juggling his job with school and cheerleading practice. But he hopes to pick up more shifts this summer to earn extra spending money and to help his family save for his college tuition.

Across the country, lawmakers are backing new legislation that would allow teens like Kacer to do just that—by loosening some child labor protections at the state level. 

Kacer Knudson works at a fitness center in Hiawatha, Kansas. He is a 17-year-old high school junior. Kacer does whatever is needed to help the gym run smoothly. He sets up new memberships. He checks that the exercise equipment is working. He even mops the floor. But his favorite part of the job is interacting with the facility’s members.

“I like being out in front of people trying to make them happy, just talking to them and explaining what the machines do,” Kacer says.

During the school year, Kacer works about 10 hours a week. He juggles his job with school and cheerleading practice. But he hopes to pick up more shifts this summer because he wants to earn extra spending money. And he wants to help his family save for his college tuition.

Across the country, lawmakers are backing new legislation that would make it easier for teens like Kacer to do just that. The legislation would loosen some child labor protections at the state level.

Kacer Knudson works at a fitness center in Hiawatha, Kansas. He helps the gym run smoothly. He sets up new memberships. He checks that the exercise equipment is working. He even mops the floor. But his favorite part of the job is helping the gym’s members.

“I like being out in front of people trying to make them happy, just talking to them and explaining what the machines do,” Kacer says.

Kacer is 17. During the school year, he works about 10 hours a week. He is a high school junior. He juggles his job with school and cheerleading practice. But he hopes to pick up more shifts this summer because he wants to earn extra spending money. He also wants to help his family save for his college tuition.

Across the United States, lawmakers are backing new legislation that would let teens like Kacer work more. The changes would loosen some child labor protections at the state level.

Ohio and other states, for example, have proposed bills that would permit teens—with their parents’ permission—to work later at night, even on school days. In some states, such as Iowa and Minnesota, legislation would allow teens to take jobs in a wider range of industries, including construction.

Some lawmakers say the changes will help businesses in the United States address worker shortages. Since the economy reopened after the Covid-19 pandemic, the country has been experiencing a tight job market. (That’s when there are more jobs available than there are people seeking to fill them.) 

Advocates for relaxing child labor restrictions say the bills are a win-win: Teens would get work experience, while employers would be able to hire them for jobs adults aren’t taking.

But critics worry that loosening the laws could put young people in danger. Plus, they say, working later hours could interfere with teens’ schoolwork.

For example, Ohio and other states have proposed bills that would let teens work later at night, even on school days, with their parents’ permission. In some states, such as Iowa and Minnesota, legislation would let teens take jobs in a wider range of industries, including construction.

Some lawmakers say the changes will help businesses in the United States address worker shortages. Since the economy reopened after the Covid-19 pandemic, the country has been experiencing a tight job market. (That is when more jobs are available than there are people seeking to fill them.)

Some people are in favor of relaxing child labor restrictions. They say the changes would help everyone. Teens would get work experience. And employers would be able to hire them for jobs adults are not taking.

But critics worry that loosening the laws could put young people in danger. Critics also say working later hours could interfere with teens’ schoolwork.

For example, Ohio and other states have proposed bills to let teens work later at night, even on school days. (Teens would need their parents’ permission.) In some states, such as Iowa and Minnesota, bills would let teens take on a wider variety of jobs. That would include construction.

Some lawmakers say the changes will help U.S. businesses reduce worker shortages. After the Covid-19 pandemic, the economy reopened. But the job market is still tight. (That means more jobs are available than there are people looking to fill them.)

Some people support relaxing child labor restrictions. They say the bills would help everyone. Teens would get work experience. And employers would be able to hire them for jobs that adults are not taking.

But critics worry that loosening the laws could put young people in danger. Plus, they say, working later hours could interfere with teens’ schoolwork.

About 6 million 16- to 19-year-olds in the U.S. are employed, doing everything from waiting tables to walking dogs. Most work for a few hours after school, on weekends, or during summer vacations.

What kinds of jobs teens can do and for how long is outlined under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), a federal law passed in 1938 to protect all workers—including the youngest. Prior to its passage, many children as young as 12 worked long hours in dangerous conditions (see "Child Labor in the 1900s," below).

The FLSA prohibits most kids under 14 from working and limits teens under 16 to three hours of work on a school day and eight hours on a non-school day. It also bans those under 18 from hazardous jobs, including working in mines. 

There are exceptions, however. When it comes to farmwork, children as young as 12 are allowed to put in unlimited hours as long as they don’t miss school. And for kids working in a family business—where presumably their parents are looking out for them—there’s no minimum age at all.

Under the FLSA, working conditions improved. From 1962 to 1980, an average of 51 percent of young people held jobs.

But starting in the early 2000s, the percentage of employed teens began to drop. According to labor experts, teens started working less as they focused more on getting into college. Meanwhile, increased automation eliminated many entry-level jobs; immigrants filled others.

About 6 million 16- to 19-year-olds in the U.S. are employed. They do everything from waiting tables to walking dogs. Most work for a few hours after school, on weekends, or during summer vacations.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) outlines what kinds of jobs teens can do and for how long. That federal law was passed in 1938. It protects all workers—including the youngest. Before it was passed, many children as young as 12 worked long hours in dangerous conditions (see "Child Labor in the 1900s," below).

The FLSA bars most kids under 14 from working. It limits teens under 16 to three hours of work on a school day and eight hours on a non-school day. It also bans those under 18 from dangerous jobs, like working in mines.

But there are exceptions. Children as young as 12 can put in unlimited hours doing farmwork, as long as they do not miss school. And if kids work in a family business, there is no minimum age at all. That is because their parents are likely there too, and can look out for them.

Under the FLSA, working conditions improved. From 1962 to 1980, an average of 51 percent of young people held jobs.

But starting in the early 2000s, the percentage of employed teens began to drop. According to labor experts, teens started working less as they focused more on getting into college. Meanwhile, increased automation did away with many entry-level jobs. Immigrants filled others.

About 6 million 16- to 19-year-olds in the U.S. are employed. They do everything from waiting tables to walking dogs. Most work for a few hours after school or on weekends. Or they work during summer vacations.

What kinds of jobs can teens do? And for how long? Restrictions are outlined under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). That federal law was designed to protect all workers—including the youngest. It was passed in 1938. Before then, many children as young as 12 worked long hours. They often worked in dangerous conditions (see "Child Labor in the 1900s," below).

The FLSA bars most kids under 14 from working. It also limits teens under 16 to three hours of work on a school day and eight hours on a non-school day. And it bans people under 18 from dangerous jobs, including working in mines.

But there are exceptions. For example, children as young as 12 can do farmwork for unlimited hours if they do not miss school. And there is no minimum age for kids working in a family business. That is because their parents can look out for them.

Under the FLSA, working conditions improved. From 1962 to 1980, an average of 51 percent of young people held jobs.

But starting in the early 2000s, the percentage of employed teens began to drop. Teens started working less. Labor experts say teens were focusing more on getting into college. Meanwhile, increased automation did away with many entry-level jobs. Immigrants filled others.

Teen employment numbers changed once again during the pandemic, as workers of all ages suffered sharp job losses. At the height of the global crisis in 2020, the number of teens working fell to its lowest levels in decades. But as businesses started reopening the following year, demand surged. Many adults left low-wage jobs for better-paying ones. That left employers scrambling to hire waiters, store clerks, and other service staff. 

“Adult workers said, ‘I no longer want this crazy low-wage service job that has a ludicrous schedule, few benefits, and rude customers,’” Alicia Sasser Modestino, a labor expert who studies the youth workforce, told reporters. So “employers suddenly turned to youth.” 

Today roughly one-third of teens have jobs (see graph, below). That’s the highest rate of young Americans that have worked since 2008, when the Great Recession sent employment plummeting.

Teen employment numbers changed once again during the pandemic, when workers of all ages suffered sharp job losses. The height of the global crisis was in 2020. That year, the number of teens working fell to its lowest levels in decades. But as businesses started reopening the following year, demand for workers increased. Many adults left low-wage jobs for better-paying ones. That left employers struggling to hire waiters, store clerks, and other service staff.

“Adult workers said, ‘I no longer want this crazy low-wage service job that has a ludicrous schedule, few benefits, and rude customers,’” Alicia Sasser Modestino told reporters. She is a labor expert who studies the youth workforce. So “employers suddenly turned to youth.”

Today roughly one-third of teens have jobs (see graph, below). That is the highest rate of young Americans in the workforce since 2008. That was when the Great Recession caused a big drop in employment.

Teen employment numbers changed once again during the pandemic. Workers of all ages suffered sudden job losses. The worst year of the global crisis was 2020. That year, the number of teens working fell to the lowest it had been in decades. But the next year, businesses started reopening. Demand for workers grew. Many adults left low-wage jobs for better-paying ones. That left employers struggling to hire waiters, store clerks, and other service staff.

“Adult workers said, ‘I no longer want this crazy low-wage service job that has a ludicrous schedule, few benefits, and rude customers,’” Alicia Sasser Modestino told reporters. She is a labor expert. She studies the youth workforce. So “employers suddenly turned to youth.”

Today about one-third of teens have jobs (see graph, below). That is the highest rate of young Americans in the workforce since 2008. That was when the Great Recession led to big drops in employment.

However, businesses are still struggling to hire. In Ohio, many restaurants are short-staffed. That’s why the state put forth a bill this past January that would extend how late teens can work. Under the measure, children as young as 14 could work until 9 p.m. year-round, with their parents’ permission. (Currently, Ohio teens under 16 can work until 7 p.m. on school nights.) South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming, and other states already allow teens to work until 10 p.m. on school nights.

Meanwhile, some states are addressing worker shortages with bills that would allow teens to work in more industries. Earlier this year, Minnesota lawmakers proposed legislation that would permit teens as young as 16 to work in construction. 

Iowa introduced a bill that would allow teens 14 and older to hold certain jobs in meatpacking facilities—including working in meat coolers—as long as they are kept separate from where meat is prepared. And teens 15 and older in the state could perform light tasks on assembly lines in manufacturing plants after obtaining official permission.

But businesses are still struggling to hire. In Ohio, many restaurants are short-staffed. So this past January, the state proposed a new bill. It would extend how late teens can work. Under the measure, children as young as 14 could work until 9 p.m. year-round, with their parents’ permission. (Currently, Ohio teens under 16 can work until 7 p.m. on school nights.) South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming, and other states already allow teens to work until 10 p.m. on school nights.

Meanwhile, some states are addressing worker shortages with bills that would let teens work in more industries. Earlier this year, Minnesota lawmakers proposed legislation that would let teens as young as 16 work in construction.

Iowa introduced a bill that would allow teens 14 and older to hold certain jobs in meatpacking facilities, as long as they are kept separate from where meat is prepared. Jobs could include working in meat coolers. And teens 15 and older in Iowa could perform light tasks on assembly lines in manufacturing plants after getting official permission.