Cost of living. Teens with no jobs

[monkeysox]

The whole COL crisis is exacerbated by huge supermarket chains (one example) who are making huge profits. They don't employ as many young people (automation) so the cost of the kid's needs falls on the parents who have huge bills themselves.
I always had a Saturday or evening job.
Businesses aren't hiring nearly as much as 30 years ago.
Aibu?

Couldn't you get a student loan? maybe i was lucky but i had a loan and also worked two jobs in the summer holidays one 40 hours and one 25 hours for uni money.

Families who are struggling financially have always had to look to older children to support the family’s finances. Yes it would be lovely if that were not the case but it never has been.

You used to be able to pop into a supermarket and ask for an application form. Now everything is online , and there are fewer jobs because of smart shopping , meaning less cashiers.

That and the high street has changed in the last 25 years.

Its really sad that Saturday jobs just don’t exist anymore.

You've missed the point - idiot! We're talking adults, not children!

Nope - even fast food chains aren't recruiting :(
Times have changed since you were 14!

I actually have a teenager in Year 9 who volunteers her time to build up her CV already - doing campaigns and work for a political party so she has experience and references for when she is ready to start earning money!

Her and her friends are already organising themselves through work experience and volunteering for part time jobs at 16.

I also know several teenagers who run cake sheds/ have their own craft businesses who sell their products!

It’s about planning ahead for the job market so they can build up cash reserves for university.

Our local takeaways and cafes are always advising for jobs!

The fucking title says TEENS…teens are not adults Unless 18-19 so unless people are specifically talking about the last 2 year of teenage years then they are talking about children - IDIOT!

The number of overseas visas granted is dropping significantly due to Home Office policy changes. The problem of teen unemployment is more nuanced and I worry for the future employment prospects of my kids. But it is not because of the “too many immigrants” rhetoric peddled by the media.

My DD has been busy over the years with various sports and after school and private clubs and enjoying her childhood whilst also focusing on her GCSEs. I didn't want her to have to think about work whilst she was so young...it was more about developing friendships, hobbies and getting her homework done.
I really didn't expect she'd have to do all that whilst still in year 9. Also, back in the 90s (when I was a teenager) you could literally walk in to any Saturday job. Sadly, times have changed and you have to know where to look. It's a big learning curve...and yes she will probably take on some form of volunteering if she has no luck elsewhere. She is also very creative (with crochet) and could possibly set up an Etsy business.....

Well thats good to hear immigration has been reduced - how much is a significant drop?

Nasty b! I'm not talking about the title! I'm referrring to the poster who said s/he was in their 40s, so they clearly shouldn't still be under the financial responsiblity of their parents!
I was lucky that I also had parents who helped me financially all the way...and I plan to do the same for my kids. I also see it as my responsiblity BUT I absolutely don't have a cold heart like you and judge parents who can't do that for their DCs. Not everyone's circumstances are the same!...and I wouldn't dream of posting some of the things you have!

I agree with your point entirely.
But people seem reluctant to mention or discuss this

This. If I’m going to have to verify every alcohol sale I might as well jump on the till myself rather than keep coming back and forth. Harsh as it is I don’t want anyone under 18 for this exact reason because they are more of a hindrance and customers are impatient and don’t like waiting because they legally can’t serve them. Yes you can put them on the shop floor but when we put a call out for relief staff they are basically useless.

I’m in Australia. Kids here don’t seem to be struggling as much as it sounds British kids are for jobs. My now 19 year old worked from 15 or 16. Initially in a pizza takeaway then in a well known supermarket. My 15 year old has recently started at the same supermarket although to be fair his brother got him the job. Many of my 15 year olds friends are working in fast food places.

It’s a shame if kids can’t get these first ‘Saturday jobs’ as it’s so good for them. Not to mention a definite help for us parents, means kids can fund their own social lives and pay for luxuries and extras they want. Once mine start a job I stop buying them ‘extras’. I buy them the essential bits for their wardrobes but don’t buy expensive T shirts and shoes they want. Nor do I any longer give them money for going out with friends.

Kids on the lowest pay replace adults on low pay ,kids don't get trained properly and don't progress and are criticized, adults get minimum hours on minimum pay having to rely on benefit top ups . Meanwhile employers are charging more for poorer services !

You are making no sense at all.
I don’t know which poster you are referring to. It’s not mean to say out loud that parents need to provide for their dc, it’s not judging it’s telling it as it is. I’m not the one who started name calling!

Not talking about providing for children at all but about funding extras as they get older. Family finances vary as do circumstances and what families can and can’t provide beyond the basics.

I’m sure it varies by area and we are lucky to be in a seasonally busy area for hospitality, but lots of people have runner, kiosk or KP as first jobs at that age

But the current Labour government came to an agreement with India that Indian staff working here don’t need to pay NI for the first few years making it cheaper for businesses to employ Indians and UK staff. And they just announced they want tax payers to pay businesses visa costs (plus granted over a hundred vape shops, corner shops, barbers and cafes the right to sponsor skilled worker visas).

@

You need to research better. I wonder why you didn’t. 🤔 It’s for temporary immigrants working in Indian companies only and it’s reciprocal for 3 years so British and Indian workers working in either country can avoid being taxed twice. They still have to pay the immigration health surcharge to access the NHS .

Under the UK-India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), the UK and India operate a reciprocal Double Contributions Convention (DCC). This social security agreement ensures that temporarily seconded employees from India and the UK only pay social security contributions in their home country for up to three years.
Key Mechanics of the Agreement
Three-Year Exemption: Indian nationals employed by an India-based company and sent to temporarily work in the UK are exempt from paying UK National Insurance Contributions (NICs) for up to 36 months.
Reciprocity: The agreement works both ways. British workers seconded to India by a UK-based employer are exempt from making Indian social security payments for up to 36 months.
Preventing Double Taxation: The DCC ensures that mobile workers do not pay into the social security systems of both nations simultaneously, protecting their pension and social security records from fragmentation.
Crucial Exemptions & Rules
UK-Based Employers: The exemption does not apply to Indian nationals working for a UK-based employer or local hires in the UK. Those individuals must pay standard UK NICs from day one.
Healthcare Surcharge: Being exempt from National Insurance does not exempt the worker from paying the UK Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), which enables them to use the NHS.
Worker Status: To qualify, the individuals must remain employed by their home-country employer and must obtain the proper documentation to prove they are contributing to their home system.

My DN has been working in a pub kitchen loading the dishwasher since the age of 17.

Well you have the clueless Labour government to thank for that!

Double Whammy…..They raised the minimum wage for youngsters……..and at the same time lowered the threshold at which companies must start paying employers NI from £12k to £5k.

So all those “little jobs” have gone because suddenly employing someone for a couple of hours is so much more hassle and cost.

And it the small businesses that employ the majority of people ,not the Amazons or supermarkets.

There is youth minimum wage. It's £8 an hour for 16/17 year olds.

DD2 earns just over that at 17. How much do you want to take off her?

Rubbish. The minimum wage more than doubled between 2010 and 2024 under the Conservative government and people's salaries have still gone down in real terms.

How little do you want people to earn?

Do you want the taxpayer to keep subsidising employers to not pay people properly with ever increasing amounts of Universal Credit instead of being paid a sum that allows them a decent standard of living?

What's nutty to me is they won't take a risk with a teenager but they'll give the jobs to a boomer! My old firm they had one school leaver who they would bully but they had a 71 year old who refused to do anything other than printing so they had to hire two other members of staff and a 74 year old who was deaf and on the verge of dementia who would do shit work and muggins here would have to finish it for him.