Teenagers want to work to earn their own money and lots of teens do.  Countless teens have the same work ethic and commitment as adults and would like to earn their own way for personal needs and wants by way of an income from a job.  Having a job will give them the opportunity to do so.  There are 14 year olds looking for work. Though, being 14 years old-looking for a job makes it more than rough. These are some facts about 14 year olds working in the workforce today.

Where can a 14-year-old find a job?

There are job opportunities available for 14 year olds if you know where to look. Many teens want to work more than simply a summer job. Earning money year round is ideal. However, before taking the plunge to hunt for employment get educated on the rules that surround where a 14-year-old can work, hours they can work, where they can work and other various facts surrounding 14 year olds working.

Work hours are limited for teen jobs

Federal laws are in place surrounding children that work. These laws are in place to protect teens from unfair labor practices that occurred years ago and prevent them from taking place today. These laws work around what hours during the day a teen works, how many hours worked each day and the greatest number of hours in any given week a 14-year-old can work.

Teens that are 14 and 15 years old typically have the same guidelines. Teens that are 14 years old can work at most 3 hours total each day and no more than 18 hours total per week during the school year. Summer work hours for teens that are 14 and 15 year olds increase daily work hours to 8 and not to exceed 40 hours per week.  These same teens can only work up to 7pm during the school year which is measured between Labor Day and June 1. Summer hours allow teens to work as late as 9pm.

For scores of employers this schedule is difficult to work around and schedule work hours. However, some employers welcome the limitation because the work they have may only call for those extra hands for a short amount of time each day or every week.

Where can a 14-year-old work

A 14-year-old can find work in a restaurant and grocery stores are extremely popular.  A number of retail stores hire teenagers. When it comes to jobs were teens cannot work these include anything hazardous or dangerous job positions. For an example, operating a forklift in a canning factory would be out question for a 14-year-old employment position regardless of the hours worked.

Teens cannot work in manufacturing positions, mining and other various positions that would include any job during school hours or under specified conditions set by federal law.

Most state employment offices or Federal Department of Labor Office or websites have the details of what jobs  14 and 15 years old teens can work.

Working papers

Although the federal government doesn’t have a mandate or law that requires working papers, several states require that teens under the age of 18 must get working papers to hold a job. These are called Employment Certificate or Student Working papers.

In order to verify what states demand Employment or Age Certificates for teen employees, contact the state Department of Labor office or school guidance counselor. These are also two resources to get copies of the forms.

General Advice

Teens searching for work should follow the same advice as adults. Dress for success and prepare for the interview. Teens that live in a state that needs Working Papers for jobs should have these in order before the job hunt starts. Know where you can work before applying and what hours fit your schedule for your teen job.  

Consider transportation to and from your job before accepting a place with the company. There are several online job sites that have a section specifically designed for teen job searching.

Employers will hold 14 and 15 year olds looking for employment to standards similar to adults working at the company. With unemployment high in every state many adults are vying for the same open positions with companies that were previously only held by teenagers.

In Conclusion

Not only do 14 year olds want to work, but there parents would also like to see them employed sometimes for reasons other than money. Working is a benefit that can help with having money in their pockets. It can also teach a teen responsibility, credibility, duty, meeting obligations, organizational skills, time management and other life tools to be used at college and beyond. Most working teens are better employees as working adults or than adult employees that never worked as teens.