Nearly half of Sarasota-area teens are in the workforce

Nearly half of the teens in the North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton region are in the labor force, according to a report by Smartest Dollar, a company that provides financial decision guidance for businesses and consumers.

A rite of passage in some parts of the country and a way of life in others, labor force participation among 16- to 19-year-olds declined sharply since the late 1970s. Factors include higher school enrollment rates, greater participation in after-school activities, and an increased emphasis on college preparation. 

In the local metropolitan statistical area, Smart Dollar found that 46.6% of teenagers were in the workforce in some capacity. Smartest Dollar used data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Teens typically find their first jobs in the service industry, working in restaurants, retail, as lifeguards, at car washes, etc. Although the study considered only ages 16-19, Publix, a major employer throughout the state, hires as young as 14. 

In a tight labor market, businesses benefit from youngsters eager to earn their own money and the teens in turn learn about work life and build hard and soft skills needed for adulthood.

Shepard Condon, a 19-year-old student at State College of Florida, began working at Core SRQ, a fitness center in South Sarasota, as a high school senior. His responsibilities include greeting members, selling memberships and overseeing operations on the exercise floor. 

“I make sure everything is tidy and everyone is doing what they are supposed to do,” Condon said. Working evenings and weekends, he typically closes the facility at night. 

Why did he decided to become a working student?

“Obviously the main reason is I wanted to make money,” he said. “I just wanted to have my own responsibilities and have my own money. That way, I don't have to ask other people to buy me things and I can just get what I want.”

More than a measure of financial freedom, being a working student has taught Condon how to manage his time, manage finances and accept responsibilities.

“I pay a couple of bills around my house, so I have to structure how I use my money,” he said. “I think it's helped because when I get into adulthood, I'm going to have to pay more bills.”

His career interests include journalism, but Condon said his current role, which has a sales component, is helping develop revenue generating and public interfacing skills.

“As a front desk representative we’re the ones bring in revenue for the gym.” Condon said. “This experience definitely helps if I wanted to get in some type of sales job later in my life, but it also teaches me to be structured, motivated and how to be responsible in the workforce.”

Rather than working for companies, some teens find their way into the workforce as independent contractors, taking on jobs such as babysitting, pet care, lawn maintenance, house cleaning and tutoring. 

Or, they form their own company.

Matthew DePalma, a 17-year-old senior at Out-of-Door Academy in Lakewood Ranch, operates his own auto detailing company, 941 Mobile Detailing. After working at a luxury auto dealership for a year, he leveraged connections he made and ventured into detailing. He acquired a van in December and has some part-time employees who are fellow ODA students. 

“The biggest challenge for me is balancing school  and work, but what's nice about having a leadership role is I’ve got a team that can help me out,” DePalma said. “I only have two seats in the van. which is usually plenty for two people out doing details. That allows me the flexibility that when I'm available I'll run with the team or sometimes I supervise.”

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The flexible schedule ODA offers is helpful to his business. So is his family. His mother is an accountant and his stepfather is in the financial industry. Together they help with payroll and other employer compliance matters.

HIs career path is undetermined, but venturing full-time into detailing — including boats, motorcycles and even aircraft — is a strong contender.

“I wouldn't say anything is fully decided,” DePalma said. “We're growing pretty well with the business, so it's not really something that I want to step away from at the moment.”

Condon and DePalma are just two examples of the nearly half of local teens earning paychecks, a figure that ranks the Sarasota region 20th among midsize metro areas nationally. The national average is 38.3%.

From 1978 through 2011, the national teenage labor force participation rate fell from a peak of 59.3% to 33.3%. While modest gains were made between 2011 and immediately before the COVID-19 pandemic, teen labor force participation remained low when compared to historical levels.

While labor force participation across all workers remains about a percentage point lower today than it was immediately before the pandemic, teen participation is actually up by 1.3%, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, teens were the only age group to see a rise in labor force participation during the pandemic.

Among mid-size Florida markets, only the Pensacola area had a higher rate of teen participation at 47.2%, ranking it 18th nationally. Lakeland-Winter Haven brings up the rear among its Florida peers at 28.4%, ranked 93rd nationally.