How many young people are hitting the time clock as well as the textbooks?

Answer:
High School: 22.5%
Full-time College: 39.6%
Part-time College: 77.7%

Questions:

• Do you plan to work while in high school or college? If so, how many hours do you want to work?
• What do you think is the optimal number of hours for working a without impacting your studies?
• What reasons do you think students choose to work while in school?

Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day you can use in your classroom.

Behind the numbers (Bureau of Labor Statistics):

In the 1990s, the employment–population ratio for high school students was above 30.0 percent, while the ratio for college students was above 50.0 percent. However, the ratio trended down in the 2000s for both high school students and college students. By October 2010, the employment–population ratio for high school students decreased to 15.7 percent, and the ratio for college students fell to 44.7 percent. Since 2010, the ratio has trended up for high school students, reaching 22.5 percent in October 2023. For college students, the employment–population ratio has shown little change since 2010.

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For more resources relating to working in college, check out the NGPF Unit on Paying for College.

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About the Author

Dave Martin

Dave joins NGPF with 15 years of teaching experience in math and computer science. After joining the New York City Teaching Fellows program and earning a Master's degree in Education from Pace University, his teaching career has taken him to New York, New Jersey and a summer in the north of Ghana. Dave firmly believes that financial literacy is vital to creating well-rounded students that are prepared for a complex and highly competitive world. During what free time two young daughters will allow, Dave enjoys video games, Dungeons & Dragons, cooking, gardening, and taking naps.

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