Teens Are Helping Wisconsin's Workforce

Saturday, May 25th, 2024 -- 7:53 AM

More than 35,000 14- and 15-year-olds join the state’s workforce each year, according to work permit data from the state Department of Workforce Development.

May and June are traditionally the months the department issues the most permits each year. Those months last year accounted for about 39 percent of all permits. Wisconsin’s older teens, 16- to 19-year-olds, are also working or seeking jobs at higher rates than their peers nationally. Among that age group, DWD says 55.3 percent are either working or looking for work. That’s more than 18 percent higher than the national average. Even as teens have taken an increasingly important role in the state economy, some states, including Wisconsin, have tried to pass legislation critics say rolls back child labor protections. In 2023, Wisconsin Republicans introduced a bill to eliminate work permits for 14- and 15-year-olds. This year, they passed the bill on a party-line vote, but Democratic Gov. Tony Evers vetoed it.

Many of the teens joining Wisconsin’s labor force this summer will likely be working in restaurants. An estimated 1 in 3 Americans’ first job was in a restaurant, said Susan Quam, executive vice president of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association. That’s why the association works with its member businesses to give them the resources to be good mentors to teens and comply with state and federal child labor laws, Quam said. “We’re a place where kids learn those soft skills, how to show up on time, how to take care of a uniform, all those different entry level skills, so we want to make sure that we provide that safe space for them,” she said.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.