Junior America’s Teens Expect To Work This Summer (NAPSA)—“Get A Job.” That old rock-and-roll refrain will be the theme song for most American teens this summer. According to a recent survey, 81 percent of teens plan to work this summer. While thatis still considered a high percentage, it is down from 86 percent in 2001 and 85 percent in 2002 and represents the most significant drop in three years. According to Dr. Darrel Luzzo, senior vice president of education for Junior Achievement, a sluggish economy and increased competition from the adult workforce may be keeping some teensout of the job market this summer. This is one of the key findings of the most recent installment of the Junior Achievement Interprise Poll. The poll is part of an ongoing series of surveys that cover the attitudes and opinions of America’s teenagers about the business world. The poll is sponsored by Junior Achievement, the world’s largest and fastest-growing organization dedicated to educating young people about business, economics and free enterprise. When asked what kindsof jobs they expected to get, 21 percent said they expected to work in restaurants or the fast food industry, 21 percent expected jobs in retail or sales and 16 percent said babysitting. Ten percent said they would work in an office and nine percent would be employed either as a lifeguard or in the recreation field. The number of teens planning to work in offices nearly doubled between 2002 and 2008. When asked whythey work, 40 percent said it was for extra spending money, 24 percent said Despite a sluggish economy and increased competition from adults, the majority of teens expect to work this summer. they were raising moneyfor college and 19 percent said they were saving to buya car. Whenit came to compensation, 24 percent of the teens responding said they expected to earn more that $7.50 an hour in their summer jobs. While more boys than girls anticipated achieving this wage, analysts speculate that this may be due to the fact boys are more likely to work in construction and landscaping jobs, which tend to pay more. Today, JA reaches more than four million students through 150 offices nationwide and nearly two million students in more than 100 countries worldwide. To read the poll results online, visit the “Research Center” at www.ja.org. For more information about JA, or the JA Interprise Poll, visit the Web site or write JA National Headquarters, One Education Way, Colorado Springs, CO 80906. You can also contact the nearest Junior Achievementoffice.
