How has COVID-19 Affected the Working Youth?

Lianna Platzner

In wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nature surrounding employment has changed drastically for millions. As some businesses shut down, and others are forced to implement expensive regulations, Americans have faced a massive amount of job losses, shortened hours, and wage cuts. As of October 2020, the United States faced an unemployment rate of about 6.9%, encompassing 11.1 million people unemployed. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that while “[b]oth measures have declined for 6 consecutive months, [they are still] nearly twice their February levels.” As for the working youth, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that “[i]n July 2020, 46.7 percent of young people [ages 16 to 24] were employed, down from 56.2 percent in July 2019.” While the summer usually brings a higher number of employed youth, “the share of the population age 16 and over employed in July was much lower than in February” (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020).

The current dangerous and uncertain situation faced by Americans has evidently taken a large toll on those in the working world. It has also taken a substantial toll on high school students in the workforce, with students reporting that the pandemic has had a negative effect on their jobs. “We have to clean everything about three times an hour, and people can’t sit in the store, which can be a problem for some….people sometimes walk in, and they walk out when they see what the store is like now,” says Lily Diamond, a 17 year old New Rochelle High School senior working at 16 Handles. The rise of new health measures—including mandatory mask mandates—has created issues in stores. People refusing to wear masks and follow COVID-19 safety procedures has become an almost daily occurrence, with new videos of enraged customers springing up almost every day. Diamond also also explained other ways how the pandemic has affected her job, detailing how “... the [store] prices have gone up… ..not a lot, but a significant amount…” She emphasizes the fact that work during a pandemic is truly “quite different.” Raquel Sarig, a 17 year old senior at White Plains High School who also works as a Hebrew School teacher’s aid, explains that “before the pandemic, it was in person Hebrew school on Wednesdays 4pm-6pm, and Sunday mornings 9am-11:30am. But now, it’s over zoom.” Most Americans have been put in a similar position, where online platforms, such as Zoom and Google Meet, have replaced their in-person work, dramatically changing their typical routine and environment. 

Students also reported that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their schoolwork. “Since I've only been working about once a week since we started the school year, it hasn’t been a terrible burden... but on the occasion that I have to work on a school day...I have to stay up extra late to finish my work, unfortunately,” says Diamond. On the other hand, Sarig explains how in certain ways, the pandemic has actually benefited her job and time management. She explains, “...it does interfere less with schoolwork now than it did before, because I don’t have to take the time to drive there, it’s just from my room. At the same time, I am busier now because of senior year and everything.”

Evidently, everyone has been affected in different aspects by the global pandemic.  The current situation has taken something that may often be seen as common and standard in one’s life, and altered it into something that is completely different than anything most people have ever experienced.  To students and youth who are working jobs, Dani Saril—a senior at The Masters School and previous employee of Denny’s Childrenswear— has one word of advice to share. She explains, “my best advice for students would be to prioritize your health in the workforce. You should always make sure that your employers have the correct safety measures in place for the pandemic. As important as work is, nothing tops the importance of staying healthy.” Diamond also urges students to “...try your hardest not to let the stress of working on top of schoolwork get to you, because in the end, you’ll realize that it was an important learning experience. Whether... it was a good learning experience or a bad one, it was a learning experience.”