Decline of the Saturday job as stressed teenagers opt to study instead: Number who work halves in two decades 

  • Proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds working Saturday job at a record low 
  • Businesses urged to encourage teenagers to take on part-time work
  • Just 15.5 per cent of 16 and 17-year-olds still in school have a job 

By John Stevens, Political Reporter for the Daily Mail

Published: | Updated:

The proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds in part-time work has fallen to a record low as teenagers opt to study instead

The proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds in part-time work has fallen to a record low as teenagers opt to study instead

Taking on a paper round, serving in a shop or waiting tables in a restaurant used to be how schoolchildren earned a bit of pocket money and got their first experience of work.

But businesses have been urged to encourage teenagers to take on part-time jobs after the number of pupils with Saturday jobs fell to a record low.

Over the last two decades the proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds working while at school has almost halved, falling from 30 per cent in 2000 to 15.5 per cent in 2014, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics. 

The ‘death of the Saturday job’ has been attributed to the increasing number of exams, with many students feeling under pressure to study rather than work. Some of the part-time positions have also been taken by older workers who lost their jobs during the economic crisis.

Ministers have warned youngsters are missing out on valuable work experience that can make them more employable after they leave school.

The number of 16 and 17-year-olds in part-time work while studying stood at more than 400,000 from 1996 to 2003, with a peak of 431,000 in 2000.

But by 2009, the figure had slumped to 311,000, a drop of nearly 30 per cent.

Last year, the number stood at 252,000, just a sixth of students aged 16 or 17, before falling to 233,000 this year.

Business Minister Matthew Hancock has warned that teenagers are missing out by not taking on part-time jobs alongside their studies, which help prepare them for the world of work.

He said: ‘When I was growing up, it seemed like everyone had a Saturday job. I remember my first job, doing data entry on a Saturday morning, said the business minister.

Business Minister Matthew Hancock has warned that teenagers are missing out by not taking on part-time jobs alongside their studies

Business Minister Matthew Hancock has warned that teenagers are missing out by not taking on part-time jobs alongside their studies

‘It didn’t pay much but I stuck at it and valued the money it brought in all the more for the fact I’d worked hard for it.

‘To make long-term youth unemployment a thing of the past we need Britain’s young people to have every opportunity.

‘A paid job whilst you’re in school can go a long way with a prospective employer and makes it easier to get a foot on the career ladder.

‘Youth unemployment has fallen significantly under this government and we’ve seen more than 1.9 million people start an apprenticeship since 2010.

‘But we want to go much further and make sure that the generations to come don’t miss out. We want every young person earning or learning so they can fulfil their potential and build a better life for their families.’

Mr Hancock’s comments come after Tory peer Karren Brady, a judge on BBC 1’s The Apprentice, earlier this year said she believes youngsters should get Saturday jobs to avoid future failure in the workplace.

Baroness Brady, whose own part-time jobs included working in a hairdresser while at school, said she had encouraged her daughter, Sophia, to work in a shop.

‘She folded clothes, hoovered and worked on the till,’ she said. ‘It helped her realise there is a whole world outside school of different experiences and places. It helped her develop her whole personality not just academic skills.

‘Saturday jobs teach you about responsibility, about turning up on time and not letting people down.

Tory peer Karren Brady has encouraged her daughter to work, while Brooklyn Beckham was reported to be working in a west London coffee shop

‘At the end of the day young people can sit in their bedrooms on the internet but they need to be able to sell themselves to an employer.’

Other famous parents whose children have had Saturday jobs while at school include David and Victoria Beckham whose oldest son, Brooklyn, was reported to be working part-time at a west London coffee shop.

Last year, the former England football captain said: ‘We try to lead by example, by showing them it’s important to work hard.’

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has said he plans for his two older daughters, Poppy and Daisy, to work in his father’s pub in summer holidays.

Most watched News videos