What Summer Break? - teenagers, young adults and teachers working during summer - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

American Demographics, July 1, 2001

Last year, 22.4 million teenagers and young adults traded in their report cards for time cards and worked during the month of July, the traditional summertime peak for youth employment. That's 2.2 million additional 16- to 24-year-old workers than were employed during the month of April, when school is still in full swing. In fact, by midsummer 2000, 65 percent of teens and young adults were gainfully employed and another 7 percent were job-hunting, for a combined rate of 72 percent of youths in the labor force. Compare that to three months earlier, when only 59 percent were either employed or looking for jobs. But working during the summer doesn't mean these young adults have to forgo tanning opportunities. Amusement and theme parks average 100 full-time employees, but at peak season average 665 workers per site, according to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. With 450 sites to choose from, that's a lot of parks to clean, children to find, and ice cream sandwiches to sell.

BIG SPENDERS

Top weekly salaries for second-year law students working as summer associates:

Show Me the Money

Most of today's college seniors want to make money fast.

WHICH DO YOU THINK YOU ARE LIKELY TO DO UPON GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE?

I'm Just a Temp

Average number of people who were temps during summer, July through September:

Please Call My Mom

Most common injuries suffered on the job by kids under 18:

Taking a Cue

Kids from higher-income families are more likely to work.

GOOD OLD DAYS

Surprisingly, kids' median wages were higher 20 years ago - after adjusting for inflation.

CONSTANT 1998 DOLLARS PER HOUR

WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK

At SeaWorld Orlando, the staff swells by 800 people during the summer, up 35 percent from 2,300 off-peak.

Part-time summer staff pay for food service, merchandise, and operations runs $6.65/hour.

During peak season, the number of employees at 39 Six Flags sites inflates by almost 14 times to 44,000, up from 3,000 off-peak.

Test preparation center, Kaplan Inc. hires 1,000 more teachers during the summer, an increase of one-third over the school year.

Source: SeaWorld Orlando, Six Flags Inc., Kaplan Inc.