PROVIDENCE – Following a decade-plus slump, Rhode Island teenagers last year led most of the U.S. in an overall increase in teen summer employment rates, according to researchers at Rhode Island College. This summer, they expect these trends to continue.
Contrasting widespread workforce trends, however, wages likely won't follow suit, the RIC team says.
The report, based on research from RIC economists Paul Harrington and Neeta Fogg and data scientist Ishwar Khatiwada, predicts a 32.9% increase in U.S. teen employment this summer, up from 32.1% last summer.
The uptick in teen employment has extended throughout the U.S. over the past two years, according to RIC's 2024 Summer Job Outlook for American Teens: In 2021 and 2022, this employment bracket rose to its highest rates since 2007 and 2008.
This increase draws at least in part from employers turning to teen workers to fill broader workforce gaps, according to the report, which increased sharply following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last summer, Rhode Island ranked had the fourth highest teen employment rate in the U.S., at 64.6%. The state trailed Maine, Vermont and Minnesota, with New Hampshire following Rhode Island in fifth place.
West Virginia, Washington, D.C., Mississippi, Nevada and California, in descending order, rounded out the bottom five, with an average teen summer employment rate of about 26%.
In 2022, 64.4% of Rhode Island teenagers held summer jobs, up from 4.4% in 2021. This increase of 5.7 points was he 13th-highest growth rate in the U.S.
That rise sharply contrasts the previous years of data, when Rhode Island experienced a 10.1 percentage point decrease in teen summer employment from 2019 to 2020.
As is the case with the broader U.S. workforce, median hourly wages aren't expected to keep pace with inflation, the report says. In 2023, the U.S. median hourly wage for teen summer jobs actually decreased by about 50 cents, bringing the average to $14.
Matthew Weldon, director of the R.I. Department of Labor and Training, also expects to see an increase in the percentage of Rhode Island teens with summer jobs this year.
"I don't like to make predictions, but the data has remained steady these last few years," Weldon said. He also expects that this statistic will receive a boost as a result of increases to the overall hospitality, food services and retail sectors, which tend to provide a high portion of seasonal employment for teens.
The report also notes a nationwide increase in similar sectors.
Despite this anticipated increase, Weldon said that the DLT has also noted teens reporting that they don't have time for summer jobs due to school responsibilities, including extracurriculars and volunteer activities to build a strong college application.
Still, Weldon noted, more than 900 young people will participate in the state's Real Skills for Youth Program, which includes the PrepareRI program for high school internships.
"We're encouraging young people to take advantage of the opportunities," Weldon said, adding, "The earlier they engage, the longer they will stay connected to the workforce, contributing positively to the state's economy over time."
Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Voghel@PBN.com.