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LSUconvert 
LSU Fan
Clackamas, Or
Member since Aug 2007
437 posts
| re: Youth employment at all time low...what's your story? (Posted on 12/4/12 at 3:16 pm to RogerTheShrubber)
Started yard work 8-12.
That moved to essentially mowing most of the neighbors lawns by the time I was 14. (I grew up in an older neighborhood, and thus higher population of elderly people).
Never had a proper job during high school, but always was doing something to earn money, never got an allowance. Splitting neighbors firewood, house sitting. Essentially hustling in any way I could.
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buddhavista
Member since Jul 2012
3543 posts
| re: Youth employment at all time low...what's your story? (Posted on 12/4/12 at 3:18 pm to Zach)
quote:
My daughter NEVER worked until after college. My son worked from age 16. Today they are both in their 30s with spouse and children.
My daughter spends money like it grows on trees. Luckily, she is married to a guy who works hard and makes a good salary.
I doubt that is representative. My wife didn't have a job until she was 23 and is cheaper than cheap.
My story.....my first paying job was as a babysitter. I started that when I was 13, picking up my sister's scraps, but I built the business up and had several clients by the time I was 16. ($2/hr for 2 kids, $1/hr for each additional kid)
But I left that for a steady job at a grocery store, where I worked for about 18 months until I went to college (started 3.35, left at 4.25). I had two jobs through most of college (above min wage at all of them. And then a job, sometimes two, during grad school.
I haven't had a job for a total of about 8 months since I was 13. And 7 of those months were planned and the other month was just between jobs.
kids these days, I just wish they would stay off my god damn lawn!
This post was edited on 12/4 at 3:21 pm
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Roaad
LSU Fan
Bushrod Owns
Member since Aug 2006
50365 posts
| re: Youth employment at all time low...what's your story? (Posted on 12/4/12 at 3:20 pm to LSUconvert)
Yard work as soon as I could push a mower.
Shoveled horse shite in the summer from 12-15
Only able to work in the summer, as I was a ward of the court in group homes.
16- Hi Nabor on Drusilla, Dairy.
17-21 Texaco
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Zach
LSU Fan
Member since May 2005
55325 posts
| re: Youth employment at all time low...what's your story? (Posted on 12/4/12 at 3:24 pm to cahoots)
quote:
zach, did you walk to school 10 miles uphill through a freezing snowstorm?
 Gawd, I wish. We never had snow storms in New Iberia.
Dodson Elementary was only 3 blocks away. I walked 1st thru 2nd grade. Rode my bike after dad could finally afford to buy me one when I was in 3rd grade.
BTW, when I reached 50 I was determined to see the old neighborhood that I had left at 18. Thought I would knock on some doors and ask some questions.
It was like landing on the moon. Very depressing. Wasn't it Wolfe who said "You can't go home again."
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Roaad
LSU Fan
Bushrod Owns
Member since Aug 2006
50365 posts
| re: Youth employment at all time low...what's your story? (Posted on 12/4/12 at 3:25 pm to Zach)
quote:
. I walked 1st thru 2nd grade.
I walked until 4th grade.
Then the district changed, and my school was 35 minutes away, driving.
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CarrolltonTiger
LSU Fan
New Orleans
Member since Aug 2005
44010 posts
| re: Youth employment at all time low...what's your story? (Posted on 12/4/12 at 3:46 pm to kingbob)
quote:
I was trying to get college internships with no job experience,
Why couldn't you "frame" your property management skills as work experience. If you were working you were working.
Property management seems more impressive than bagging groceries, working retail, painters helper or dropping french fries in hot oil.
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N.O. via West-Cal
LSU Fan
New Orleans
Member since Aug 2004
3502 posts
| re: Youth employment at all time low...what's your story? (Posted on 12/4/12 at 4:04 pm to Zach)
I consider myself a child of modest privilege, at least for where I lived, but in thinking about it, I probably worked more than most kids today.
First paying job: babysat a bunch of kids in the area, primarily families with boys. I was the oldest of a few kids and it kinda grew from that. Started this at age 12.
Around 13, had an afternoon paper route. That was pretty miserable as it was pretty hilly where I lived at that time and could be pretty dang cold, too.
Had a modest lawn business once I got my license (at age 15, natch). But the truck and mowers came from my folks!
Part-time gig at dive restaurant. Took your order, cooked your food and even served your beer or marg despite being 17. The good ole days. This job was pretty miserable, too. $3.25 per hour.
On campus, cushy college job at LSU and worked as pipefitter helper at a plant in the summers. That was fairly hard work but only at times. Pretty good gig.
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TejasHorn 
Texas Fan
High Plains Driftin'
Member since Mar 2007
2486 posts
| re: Youth employment at all time low...what's your story? (Posted on 12/4/12 at 4:15 pm to Zach)
When I was in high school we all had fast food / retail jobs. Now it's middle aged Latino immigrants working those jobs. They are more reliable, won't quit when they go to college, and don't whine as much.
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kingbob
LSU Fan
St. Amant, LA
Member since Nov 2010
8967 posts
| re: Youth employment at all time low...what's your story? (Posted on 12/4/12 at 4:33 pm to CarrolltonTiger)
quote:
Why couldn't you "frame" your property management skills as work experience. If you were working you were working.
That's how I got the job.
My goal is to work in a career that ensures that I never have to erect or dismantle my own barbed wire fences myself again.
This post was edited on 12/4 at 4:34 pm
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Willie Stroker
LSU Fan
Houston...ish
Member since Sep 2008
4320 posts
| re: Youth employment at all time low...what's your story? (Posted on 12/4/12 at 4:54 pm to Zach)
You seem to have taken this thread a different direction than where the linked article leads me.
I'm less concerned about the stories of our youth than the possible causal reasons.
Minimum wage was raised to $5.15 in 1997 and remained at that rate in 2000. Someone may want to check my math, but it was raised by almost 41% when ultimately raised to $7.25 in 2009.
So a 41% increase in the wage of a starter job happened to coincide with a 42% reduction in employment rate among the group of persons most likely to be making minimum wage.
Back when I looked at this more in-depth in 2008, it was true that among the 10 US States with the lowest unemployment rates, only 1 (Hawaii) had a State minimum wage law above the federal rate. (as of June 2008)
Among the 10 US States with the highest unemployment rates, 8 out of 10 had a minimum wage rates higher than the federal rate (also June 2008). The only exceptions were MS and TN.
At the time, there were 25 States (incl DC) with minimum wage rates above the federal rate. 22 out of the 25 States with higher than federal minimum wage rates are among the bottom 30 in unemployment rates.
I can't imagine that this has changed much since 2008. With the contraction in our economy, I suspect it has gotten worse.
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el duderino III
LSU Fan
austin
Member since Jul 2011
1405 posts
| re: Youth employment at all time low...what's your story? (Posted on 12/4/12 at 5:03 pm to Zach)
minimum wage hikes plus absurd oversupply of education = young people getting screwed. the more the government subsidizes higher education, the higher the percentage of people with a degree, and increasingly lower income jobs use college degrees to differentiate between employees. Then of course if you're young and can't find work, you have to get more education. It's a positive feedback loop with no real end in sight. I'd imagine if nothing changes, by 2050 a lot of people working at mcdonalds will have bachelor's degrees and insane student loan debt.
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The General
LSU Fan
Bossier City
Member since Nov 2003
251 posts
| re: Youth employment at all time low...what's your story? (Posted on 12/4/12 at 5:06 pm to Zach)
quote:
My daughter spends money like it grows on trees. Luckily, she is married to a guy who works hard and makes a good salary.
You might be my father-in-law! 
I started at 15 picking up a driving range and washing carts during the summer. No pay - free range balls. Showed up on time and didn't break anything, so Pro hired me at 17 to work in the Pro shop.
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Mike da Tigah
Ft. New Richmond
Member since Feb 2005
36706 posts
| re: Youth employment at all time low...what's your story? (Posted on 12/4/12 at 5:10 pm to Zach)
Got my first job at 15 bussing tables. Up through college I worked in kitchens, dug ditches (literally), welded, hauled Sheetrock, cut meat, worked in a mail room, stocked materials, and stuffed envelopes.
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LSU0358
LSU Fan
Member since Jan 2005
4576 posts
| re: Youth employment at all time low...what's your story? (Posted on 12/4/12 at 6:13 pm to Zach)
Started bailing hay at 14 for $5.00 an hour. One summer of that and I had a job at a plant nursery March - June every year unloading trailers, watering plants etc.
One summer in a hay field will show you the value of an education/owning your on business.
This post was edited on 12/4 at 6:15 pm
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buddhavista
Member since Jul 2012
3543 posts
| re: Youth employment at all time low...what's your story? (Posted on 12/4/12 at 6:21 pm to el duderino III)
quote:
minimum wage hikes plus absurd oversupply of education = young people getting screwed. the more the government subsidizes higher education, the higher the percentage of people with a degree, and increasingly lower income jobs use college degrees to differentiate between employees. Then of course if you're young and can't find work, you have to get more education. It's a positive feedback loop with no real end in sight. I'd imagine if nothing changes, by 2050 a lot of people working at mcdonalds will have bachelor's degrees and insane student loan debt.
and the kids are competing with their grandparents for low level service level jobs. Who would you rather hire a 60 year old female who needs the job to put food on the table or a 16 year old girl saving for college?
No comparison in my book. I hire grandma.
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llfshoals 
Alabama Fan
Member since Nov 2010
864 posts
| re: Youth employment at all time low...what's your story? (Posted on 12/4/12 at 6:22 pm to LSUconvert)
Worked at one of my father's friends mobile home plant in the summers during the week, hauled hay on the weekends when it was ready.
Nothing like a few hundred bales of hay to make you want to get that engineering degree.
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Scruffy 
USA Fan
Team Hugo Stiglitz 4 Life
Member since Jul 2011
17601 posts
| re: Youth employment at all time low...what's your story? (Posted on 12/4/12 at 6:25 pm to llfshoals)
Worked construction one summer in highschool. Worked at my dad's gas station. Worked on the unloading docks of a tool distribution company removing and stacking boxes of tools. Worked for the LSU wheat dept. one summer. Last job before med school was as an EKG tech.
I'm well rounded.
This post was edited on 12/4 at 6:26 pm
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Lsut81
LSU Fan
Member since Jun 2005
54807 posts
| re: Youth employment at all time low...what's your story? (Posted on 12/4/12 at 6:30 pm to Zach)
I worked for my Great Aunt for as long as I can remember back. She had 3 acres and I would spend entire days out doing manual labor, usually 830 til 5, moving Plants, cutting limbs, mowing, etc... She'd pay me depending on how much we got done. It was usually between 40-60 bucks.
First real job was at 17 when I didn't have to work, but wanted to make my own money to buy things. Did that for a about 8 months before my Sr year of high school baseball season. Then took a part time job during my first 3yrs of college and then full time for my 4th and 5th year.
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notiger1997
Member since May 2009
17000 posts
| re: Youth employment at all time low...what's your story? (Posted on 12/4/12 at 6:33 pm to Zach)
Started cutting grass for $$ at 11. Worked at a produce stand at 15 as first real job.
My eye opening job experience as a kid was the summer when I was 16. A friend talked me into working at a grocery story with him. The store offered me a night shift cleaning floors. We cleaned up the gum, swept, pushed the cleaning machine, and waxed, etc.
While we were there at night, the stock crew also worked. Met quite a few fck ups that summer. Once I figured out my job I realized we were underworked, so I would offer to help put stock on the shelves while we had time. This was frowned upon, because it made the stock crew look bad.
Was also told by one of the 35 year old losers that I shouldn't be working at night, I should be out partying and having fun.
Just really was crazy seeing those guys cash their checks and knowing several of them were raising families on what was probably .25 to .75 an hour above minimum wage.
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Junky 
Louisiana Tech Fan
Louisiana
Member since Oct 2005
1843 posts
| re: Youth employment at all time low...what's your story? (Posted on 12/4/12 at 6:52 pm to Queen)
quote:
I started babysitting in middle school and kept that up for several years. Can't beat cash money for a few hours of playing with some kiddos. I'd babysit today if given the chance.
When I was 16 I got my first taxpaying job at a preschool. Took kids to potty and washed mats and dishes for $5.15 an hour.
Worked all through college as a tour guide at LSU.
My sister cleaned out dog cages at a local vet office.
No reason for kids not to work. At all
Now this is real work...."Here is the stadium" end the day just kidding....
Edit: forgot my job experience....
Worked at a sporting goods store at 16 making a dang good $5.55hr when minimum was $3.15. until I graduated high school.
I work odd summer jobs at plants making roughly $10hr building scaffold and labor work
Worked for Tech briefly paying $300 a quarter.
Now I have the best job ever....but it is so specific I'll give my ID away, so you'll never know.
This post was edited on 12/4 at 7:00 pm
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