Summer Jobs Teens and Young Adults are Working (and Saving!)

Summer Jobs Teens and Young Adults are Working (and Saving!) Summer Jobs: Teens and Young Adults are Working (and Saving!) More Than You Think Summer Jobs: Teens and Young Adults are Working (and Saving!) More Than You ThinkYoung people get a bad rap for being lazy, but a new OppLoans survey shows thats not the case at all.  Summer is finally here, and while you might think teens and young adults are all gearing up for some fun in the sun, it seems that most of them are using their time off from school to work.This might be a surprising revelation if youve been following recent reporting around teens and summer jobs. In 2015, Pew Research Center published a study on teen employment that found that less than a third of teens ages 16 to 19 worked during summer break in 2014, down from 58 percent in 1978.To their credit, Pew doesnt think laziness is the reason for this decline. Instead, they cite the fact that fewer low-skill, entry-level jobs exist today than they did in decades past and research that shows todays teens are spending their summers volunteering, taking classes, and working unpaid internships at a rate that far outpaces previous generations.But our recent survey on teens, young adults, and summer jobs tells a different story. Of the 1,000 people ages 14-24 who participated in the survey, a whopping 63 percent said they had a job lined up for the summer.  Additionally, our data showed that young people with jobs lined up plan to make an average of $4,037 this summer, of which they plan to save an average of 57 percentâ€"or $2,301.We broke down what we learned in an infographic, which you can check out below, and went into full analysis mode after the graphic!Where are the jobs for young people?Unsurprisingly, a quarter of the young people who will be working this summer will have a job in the foodservice industry. This makes sense, as restaurants are a good place to find entry-level work as a host, cashier, or server. Retail jobs came in second at 17 percent, then childcareâ€"likely nannying, babysitting and tutoringâ€"came in third at 11 percent.See the full breakdown below:Food Services: 25%Retail: 17%Childcare: 11%Education: 7%Social/Recreational Service: 2%Administrative: 2%Sales: 5%Hospitality: 2%Entertainment: 2%Journalism: 1%Manufacturing: 4%Construction: 3%Transportation: 1%Agriculture: 2%Finance: 1%Health Services: 4%Utilities: 1%Professional/Business Services: 4%Other: 5%When it comes to job titles, the most commonly reported was cashier, followed by manager, babysitter, and sales associate.What are teens and young adults saving for?With the cost of living and tuition surging to all-time highs across the country, it should come as no surprise that 45 percent of our survey respondents are saving up money from their summer jobs to help pay for school or living expenses.After that, 18 percent of respondents said they are saving up to travel, 17 percent are saving to have some spending money during the school year, and 16 percent plan to use their savings to help support their families.How are young people getting their jobs?Seasoned job hunters know that findin g employment isnt about what you know, its about who you know. And it seems that todays young people are learning this lesson early: 31 percent of survey respondents with summer jobs said they got their position through a friend or family connection. Job hunting sites came in second at 19 percent and social media was third at 11 percent:Job search site: 19%Craigslist: 5%Friend or family connection: 31%Word of mouth: 10%Social media: 11%School resources: 8%Google: 12%Other: 5%Why are so many teens and young adults working?Well, why do YOU work? If your first answer was money, youre in agreement with 33 percent of our survey respondents, who said their main reason for getting a summer job was to generate income and build savings.Learning came next, with 32 percent of young workers reporting the desire to build new skills, and 19 percent said they were looking to make career connections.Forging new friendships was also a popular reason for spending the summer on the grind, with 15 perc ent of survey respondents saying they hoped to find new friends at work.Which regions are leading the charge on summer jobs?While the majority of young people in every part of the country who took our survey said they would have a job this summer, employment rates varied from region to region.Young people in the Midwest are more likely to have a summer job than young people living in any other region. In fact,  69 percent of survey respondents from the Midwest said they will have summer jobs, at which they expect to make an  average of $4,251. Young Midwestern workers plan to save, on average, 55 percent of their income, which comes out to an average of $2,338.In the Northeast,  67% of teens and young adults say they will have summer jobs, and they plan to make an average of  $3,159 throughout the course of the summer. While Northeastern student workers might expect to make slightly less than their Midwestern peers, theyre also planning to save more of their summer income: 61 percen t, or an average of $1,927.63 percent of survey respondents living out West will have a job this summer. Theyre expecting to make $3,998, of which they plan to save an average of 59 percent, or $2,359.While people in the South are the least likely to have a summer job (with just 57 percent reporting theyll be working this summer) those who are employed are cleaning up. Southern young people who are employed this summer expect to make an average of $4,319â€"the highest expected income of any region. Of that $4,319, they expect to save an average of $2,359, or 59 percent.What are teens and young adults WITHOUT jobs doing this summer?While the vast majority of respondents said they would be working this summer, 37 percent of the teens and young adults we surveyed were job-free heading into the summer. So what will these kids be doing with all their free time? We asked and they answered:29 percent say they will be relaxing16 percent say they will be taking classes16 percent will be stud ying and preparing for the upcoming school year13 percent will spend their time volunteering13 percent plan to travel4 percent have an unpaid internshipand 9 percent say they will be doing other, which were taking to mean skydiving lessons. What else could other possibly be?If you enjoyed this piece and want to learn more about earning extra cash, check out these related posts and articles from OppLoans:6 Expert Tips to Start Your Side HustleThe Pros and Cons (and Scams) of Trade SchoolNeed Cash Fast? Try These 10 Great Side HustlesWhat was your summer job as a teen?  We want to hear from you!  You can  email us  or you can find us on  Facebook  and  Twitter.Visit OppLoans on  YouTube  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  LinkedIN