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Think teens don’t want to work? Think again. According to the Labor Department, 37% of Gen Zers (Zoomers) held jobs in 2023. That is the highest level since 2009 and reverses 40 years of decline.
Two hundred fifty thousand more teens are working today than before the pandemic. Workers between 16-24 years old got a 9.8% pay hike last year, about twice as much as employees overall.
Many local governments have used COVID-19 related funding to improve summer youth employment programs. The goal is to cut down on neighborhood crime and also focus on ways to combat mental illness among teens.
– Vikki Locke, C2 Communications
