As of May 2023, over 250,000 more teens, aged 16-19, are beginning to work. This was the highest annual rate since the work recession began in 2009.
The leading cause for the decline in teen employment is a bigger emphasis on graduating high school and going to college, and achieving that is becoming increasingly difficult with more difficult courses and rigorous homework.
Despite there being an employment decrease since the 1970-80s, many more teens are beginning to work. Employers are straining to find workers, so they’re willing to be more flexible around high school schedules and increase starting wages.
So that proposes the question, should high school students be working? If so, what jobs should they work?
Teachers at De Pere High School shared their opinions.
Anne Marie Cummings (high school job: A register worker at Shopko), the choral music teacher, believes students should work during high school.
“I think having a job is really important,” Cummings said. “We all have to save up money for something, so it’s important to start small and build from there so you can figure out how to manage your schedules.”
English teacher Becky Hawley (high school job: fast food worker) agrees with Cummings’s views. However, she adds that the job has to fit into the student’s extracurricular and academic schedule.
“Too often I see too many students who are spreading themselves too thin between either advanced placement or college credit classes, sports, and trying to fit in every extracurricular,” Hawley said. “And they burn themselves out, which is hard to watch them do and sometimes I have to step in and say to the student, ‘It’s OK to say no to something sometimes.’ ”
History teacher Kevin Dessart (high school job: grocer) has similar views to Hawley.
“Sometimes I think kids work too much. You have your whole life to work,” Dessart added. “Yet you spend all of your free weekends working and not enjoying your time as a young person. I still think you should have a job, maybe just less hours.”
Science teacher Marijo Nelson (high school job: a week-long maid) shared the importance of getting a job fit for the student.
“I think every student is different at different grade levels and their reason for working,” she said. “It depends on their life balance, are they working to get As or are they working to get Cs? Are they working to get money after school or are they working to spend $6 on coffee every morning?”
James Long • Nov 11, 2025 at 10:45 am
I think, in general, it’s just good to work; it helps build your resume to get better jobs in the future. However, as more teens get jobs, I feel like they have a hard time realizing that if you buy a six-to-two-dollar coffee, drink, snack, etc, every day, it really just drains your money. Even five days in a row will do the same thing. I forgot to say this, but hello, sorry I didn’t lead with that… That’s really it, ok bye 🙂