I'm trying to get an idea of how common it is for high school students to have part-time jobs. Does anyone know current statistics or percentages of high schoolers balancing school and work?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2020, around 20% of high school students aged 16 to 19 held part-time jobs. Of course, these numbers fluctuate depending on the time of year—more students work during the summer than during the academic year.
Another interesting bit of data comes from the National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) 2018 High School Longitudinal Study, which reported about 42% of seniors worked during their last year of high school, with most of them working part-time.
However, keep in mind that these statistics can vary greatly based on the socioeconomic background of students and the region in which they live. The decision whether or not to work during high school is a personal one and should be made taking all these factors into consideration.
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