May 3, 1999 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

About a quarter of 14-year olds hold jobs

From 1994 to 1997, nearly one of every four 14-year olds held an "employee" job—defined as an on-going relationship with a particular employer. An additional third worked in "freelance" jobs such as babysitting or yard work. In general, more than half (57 percent) of all 14-year olds participated in some type of work activity.

[Chart data—TXT]

Although male youths were more likely than female youths to work at an employee job while age 14, both sexes worked the same number of weeks (25 weeks). Young male employees earned an average of $5.73 (in January 1997 dollars) at employee jobs held while they were 14; young women earned an average of $5.20.

Among 14-year olds, females were more likely to have participated in some form of freelance work activity. Nearly half of young women did some freelance work while age 14, compared to about 37 percent of young men.

Data on the employment experience and other characteristics of youths are a product of the National Longitudinal Survey program. Additional information is available from "Employment Experience and Other Characteristics of Youths: Results from a New Longitudinal Survey," news release USDL 99-110.