New Poll: High School Students Would Benefit from a Minimum Wage Part-Time Job

Washington, D.C. (August 22, 2019)—Once upon a time, working a part-time job was a common part of the high school experience. But with a growing number of activities and distractions weighing on today’s teenagers, that pastime seems to be on the decline. However, new Job Creators Network Foundation/ScottRasmussen.com Weekly Pulse polling reveals a vast majority of Americans still understand the importance of a part-time job during high school and the associated experience.

According to the polling, 80 percent of Americans say that having a part-time job after school and on weekends is a valuable experience for high school students. 83 percent attribute the individual benefit to the professional and social skills gained while on the job.

Moreover, 71 percent of respondents believe these part-time jobs should pay the minimum wage—which varies depending on state and municipality.

“The strong support of entry-level wages for entry-level work is reassuring,” said Elaine Parker, President of the Job Creators Network Foundation. “Keeping the minimum wage at a reasonable level will help preserve the opportunity for future generations of young Americans to gain valuable on-the-job experience. Not only does it give current teenagers a better chance of succeeding professionally in the future, but the entire country will benefit as a result of a better prepared labor force.”

“Even with recent reports about an economic downturn, a near majority of Americans still believe the economy is good or excellent,” commented pollster Scott Rasmussen. “While we did see some softening in economic sentiment, it may simply be a result of recent political rhetoric.”

Economic polling questions are below:

How would you rate the U.S. economy today? Excellent (15%), Good (34%), Fair (33%), Poor (15%), Not sure (4%)

Is the economy getting better or worse? Better (30%), Worse (33%), About the same (29%), Not sure (7%)

Okay, how would you rate your own personal finances these days? Excellent (13%), Good (34%), Fair (31%), Poor (19%), Not sure (3%)

Are your personal finances getting better or worse? Better (29%), Worse (20%), About the same (47%), Not sure (4%)

Are companies in your area likely to be hiring new workers or laying off existing workers? Hiring new workers (44%), Laying off existing workers (20%), Not sure (36%)

For historic data on these economic questions visit: https://polls.jcnf.org/

Download the data here: https://www.jcnf.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/JCN-TOPLINES-Aug-19-20.pdf

This ScottRasmussen.com/HarrisX poll of 1,000 US adults was conducted August 19-20, 2019. For more information about the Job Creators Network please visit www.JobCreatorsNetwork.com