Achievement’ Teens Are Spending SummerOn The Job (NAPSA)—This summer teens are trading the classroom for the world of work. Nearly nine out of 10 teen-agers say they expect to spend this summerworking. Among students ages 18 to 19, 97 percent said they planned to work this summer. Sixty-seven percent of students ages 12 to 18 say they will work this summer, while 89 percent of students ages 14 to 15 will be on the job. Many of the results mirror findings from last year's survey, when 87 percent of students said they planned to work during the summerof 2000. These are someof the key findings of the latest in a series of polls that examine the opinions of American youth on a range of topies. The research is sponsored by the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating young people about business, economics and the free enterprise system. More than half of students queried—57 percent—said the primary reason they work is to earn spending money, followed by another 15 percent of students who say they are savingfor college. According to the survey, the vast majority of young people take retail and sales jobs. However, younger students ages 12 to 13 are more likely to have babysitting jobs, followed by lawn care or landscaping jobs. The food service arena was another significant employment sector for young people with 23 percent of students ages 16-17 reporting they will be working in restaurants. The figures for teen pay are still relatively high compared to the current federal minimum wage of $5.15 per hour. The poll revealed that 85 percent of students earn more than the minimum wage. A full quarter of students said they earned more than Bite vege: bees) r The majority of students report their summer jobs pay more than minimum wage. $7.51 per hour, and another quarter of students say they earn between $6.01 and $7.50 per hour. If there is cause for concern in the report it is that young women seem to earn less than their male counterparts. Girls are almost twice as likely to earn minimum wage than are boys. They are also less likely than boys are to earn more than $9.00 per hour. The 2001 JA Interprise Poll on Summer Jobs was conducted in March 2001 by Achievement. The survey is part of an ongoing series of surveys on students' views of economic issues. Achievement reaches more than four million students through 156offices nationwide and nearly two million students in 112 countries worldwide. For more information on JA and the survey, visit wwwja.org, call 1-800 THE NEW JA (1-800-843-6395) or write JA National Headquarters, One Education Way, Colorado Springs, CO 80906. You can also contact the nearest Achievementoffice.
