In some cases of teens not working, it is not their fault.
Adults have been complaining about teenagers working. Some adults think that a lot of teens don’t like their job or don’t want to work. The truth is in some cases of teens not working, it is not their fault. Some teens do just not want to work at all but some workplaces refuse to hire teens because they feel that teens are not reliable. On the other hand, teens that do work are sometimes very overworked and not paid enough. A lot of teens who are currently working are not planning on staying at a certain job. They are just temporary until they go to college.
The New York Post made a statement about teenagers and their jobs. It says “Nearly 60% of Gen Z workers say their job is a “situationship” — a short-term setup they never planned to stick with.”(New York Post 2026). I asked fellow high school Ivory Brown what his opinion on this was. He said “Us teenagers want to work but these places won’t hire us. If they do hire us, the job has horrible hours, horrible pay, or is a very toxic work environment. It’s a lose-lose situation sometimes.”
Ivory’s statement helps explain why and how more teenagers don’t want to work or are not happy at their jobs. As months go on, teens tend to apply for jobs less and less. Some teens also refuse to work because of the government.
The company Challanger, Gray and Christmas wrote an article about this topic too. They said “Over the last few summers, there were ample opportunities for teens, but they seemed to shun them…”(Challanger, Gray and Christmas 2025). As the years go on, gen z has decided to stand up for themselves more than ever. They feel that it is time to use their voice.