The long-term effects of adolescent work on adult socioeconomic attainment

We investigate the benefits and costs of adolescent employment for adult socioeconomic attainment. Whereas prior studies have focused on outcomes of youth work during and closely following high school, data from the Youth Development Study (YDS) enabled us to extend the investigation to mid-life. An initial cohort of 9th graders was followed from ages 14–15 (1988) to 45–46 (2019). Using matching methods, we examined short- and long-term educational and career outcomes among youth whose teenage employment varied in terms of intensity (average hours worked) and duration (in months) during the school year. Intensive adolescent work (averaging '20 h per week) was positively associated with wages immediately following high school, but this benefit dissipated with age. Intensive youth workers, compared to those who averaged moderate hours, were also less likely to earn a BA. In contrast, youth who worked at high (vs. low) duration were more likely to quickly acquire jobs that they viewed as “careers” and to continue to hold such jobs to mid-life. They also reported higher wages through the entire period of observation. Thus, near continuous employment during high school promoted long-term socioeconomic attainment.