Earning and Employment Information for Teens, Second Edition

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports the number of youth working from the age of 16–24 years has increased from 2.6 million to 22.9 million from April to July 2022. With technology and information at their fingertips, teens today earn, shop, and live in new ways and want the financial independence to do so. One way to achieve that independence is a job. Employment can offer financial security. However, the challenge for any teen is to find the right job and choose a career path that would benefit them in the future.

Earning and Employment Information for Teens, Second Edition provides insights into the world of work for teens. It offers the reader information on child labor laws, safety aspects for young workers, and a snapshot of teen labor participation. Other featured topics include promoting social, emotional competencies in high school, and career planning. The book also explains the soft skills to pay the bills, enthusiasm and positive attitude that are expected of teens in the workplace, importance of problem solving, critical thinking, reducing workplace violence hazards, and safety tips for retail workers. Sections on building financial habits, norms, and budgeting. Banking basics are included with explanations about calculating interest rates, banking fees, charges, online payments, and electronic banking. This book also explains how to set a smart saving goal and includes sections on paying off credit cards or other high interest debt and spending money wisely. The book concludes with a list of online money management tools and a directory of resources for financial information.

Part 1: When and How Can You Work? provides introduction on child labor law, and information on federal low provision for nonagricultural and agricultural occupations. It also covers Fair Labor Standards Acts (FLSA) , state child labor law and minimum wages law. It describes details on safety aspects for young workers and information on filing a complaint.

Part 2: First Step: Career Exploration and Skill Development begins with the topics such as promoting social and emotional competencies in high school, career planning which helps them to discover a career path they would like to take in the future. This part also provides basic information about outlook, wages in occupations with telework, and planning for time off.

Part 3: On the Job discusses enthusiasm, positive attitude and explains about the importance of problem solving and critical thinking in the workplace. This part describes the job rights, responsibilities, and the pay discrimination. It provides safety tips for retail workers, talks about how to avoid overwork and stress.

Part 4: Managing Your Earnings explains the importance of financial education, building financial habits and norms. This part describes budgeting, importance of money management, and banking basics. It shows methods to calculate interest rates, banking fees, charges, different ways to pay the bills, and electronic banking. Information about scholarships and financial aid scams.

Part 5: Smart Spending and Saving to Improve Your Financial Wellbeing discusses smart saving goals and financial plans. It provides information about an easy way to save money and spend money wisely. Basic knowledge about credit cards and other high interest debt. Tips on online shopping, social media, online financial fraud, and safety guidelines on mobile wallets.

Part 6: Making Money Grow explains about moonlighting for additional income and how to start your own business. It discusses the difference between saving and investing. It elaborates on investments all about and evaluating your comfort zone in taking on risk. This part also teaches about cryptocurrency, commodity trading, and risk of day trading.

Part 7: If You Need More Information offers online money management tools, youth employment resources, and resources for financial information.