Department of Labor reports teenage work continues to rise

Eighty percent of teenagers ages 15-17 in the United States have jobs, according to a study by the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine.\nIt's no different in Indiana.\nAccording to the Indiana Department of Labor, more than 136,000 teenagers between the ages of 14-17 were issued work permits last year, and that number continues to rise. \nBree Dyche, a Bloomington High School North senior and sales associate at Hotline Shoe Store the College Mall, said she has seen the trend.\n"It does seem like more of my friends are looking for jobs, especially to save up money for spring break and stuff," she said.\nBetween 1996 and 1998, the Department of Labor reports 2.9 million teens held paying jobs during the school year -- a contrast to the 11.7 million in the mid-1990s. About 5 percent of those teens are self-employed with jobs in family and lawn care. More than half of the 15-to 17- year-olds in the labor force work in the retail and service industries, according to the Department of Labor.\nBloomington teenager Josh Halterman, who attends Bloomington High School South and works 20 hours a week, said he enjoys this type of work.\n"It's kind of nice going to work," he said. "I know what to expect, and I just sit around and bake bread and cookies. It's not hard, it just takes up time."\nJohn Anderson, circulation manager at the Monroe County Public Library, 303 E. Kirkwood Ave., said he believes holding down a job at such an early age is a positive experience.\nAnderson said he has about 20 high school kids working for him who supervise themselves. \n"The jobs these kids have are mostly sorting and shelving. They are told in the interview process that they will supervise themselves ... they have to have a good work ethic."\nThe range of hours a teenager is allowed to work at the library falls between 10 and 12. Some say more hours would jeopardize performance.\nAnderson said he did not know about that, but "we do look for students who have busy schedules and extracurricular activities."\nIn other words, he said, people who like to keep busy and will not look at work as a chore, but possibly a joy. In fact, many have jobs for just that reason.\n"Most of the people I know who have jobs just like to keep busy," said Halterman. "They don't like to sit around."\nThere are some teens, though, who need to work for financial reasons. Alex Prendelman works at Cafe Pizzeria, 405 E. Kirkwood Ave., and attends Aurora Alternative High School. He works more than 20 hours a week.\n"I have to have a job so I can pay rent and stuff," he said. \nWhen he's done with high school, he said he would like to move out west and eventually attend college.\nThe overwhelming reason to have a job seems to be the extra cash. Elana Breitel, a senior at Bloomington South goes to school from 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and then takes a Hebrew class at IU. She works at Bell Trace Retirement Home 20 hours a week.\n"I enjoy my job, I needed to find something to do with my time but I really like the money," he said. "I pay for a lot of things myself." \nHalterman said she also likes the money. \n"I mean — technically — I could ask my parents for money," he said. "But parents want to know why and what you plan on using it for. So money I make on my own allows me to do what I want."\nThey also said that working with older people is a definite plus.\n"I like working with older people," Dyche said. "I take my job seriously. It can be frustrating working with people my own age who aren't as mature." \nHalterman agrees that older people are easier to get along with. \n"There are more college people where I work than people in high school," he said. "I don't know, I always kind of grew up fast anyway, I mean I live on my own."\nWorking these hours and attending school to these teenagers, is not without stress. The extra hours are spent "working when I could be doing something else," said Halterman. The simple nature of Dyche\'s job is stressful enough.\n"Working at a retirement home can be sad," she said. "Some people have Alzheimers and stuff and they'll wander in an hour after they ate and be like 'Did I eat yet?' It's really sad."\nBut everyone agrees that the extra work is worth it.\n"I love my job, and I like working. I've been working since I was 12," Dyche said. Despite report findings and warnings, teens in Bloomington seem to work well with work. \nWhile having a job may not be the route for all teenagers to take, Anderson has seen more positive than negative results.\n"I've seen kids with disciplinary problems turn into real solid people"