New York has the third-highest unemployment rate in the country, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This has created an increase in opportunity for younger teens to get their feet in the door and start making some money, as businesses continue to struggle with staffing shortages.

Businesses and schools say they are seeing more 14 and 15-year-olds get jobs than they have ever seen. Businesses say they need the workers and the students are happy to be paid to learn a lot of new skills.

What You Need To Know

  • Staffing shortages brought on by the pandemic are a nationwide problem plaguing businesses

  • Young teens are now taking advantage of the influx of available jobs, starting part-time work in their communities as young as 14-years-old

  • A school nurse at Faith Heritage lays out the process for parents to help their children obtain working papers

  • One teen worker says the opportunity to work and make money from a young age will be overall beneficial, as it includes them in the community and strengthens their people skills

Teenager Daniella Rodriguez has learned how to multitask quickly over her first year of employment. She's one of many teens cashing in on the current job market, where there are more jobs than workers.

“We're seeing them younger and younger with the workforce shortage. And they tell me they’re actually finding jobs at 14 and 15, which is really incredible to me because that hasn't been the trend in the eight years I've had this job,” said Abigail Campbell, a school nurse at Faith Heritage.

Campbell handles the process of high school students acquiring their working papers. She says the first step is parental support.

“Then we have to make sure that they're in good health, so we get a certificate of health or physical exam from their family doctor. Make sure the child's date of birth is accurate. So here at school, we have all those things in place. So, it's an easy access point for kids to get their working papers," said Campbell.

Daniella Rodriguez is a student-worker at Chick-Fil-A in Cicero.

“Getting a job wasn't as difficult or as scary as you might think it is. I would have learned how to talk to people that I don't know in a more professional way, and how to address those who might not be as comfortable with before I started working here. Make school a priority, of course, but you know, making money is definitely going to help you become more independent as a person. And I think that it's a good opportunity for you to grow, not just for your resume, but also for you as a person," said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez’s employers say they have not struggled with staffing. They feel it's a gift to be a teen's first employer, to teach them lifelong tools for success.

Josh Allen is the Chick-Fil-A Cicero hospitality director.

“Show up on time. Show up in uniform, be clean, be presentable. We love the impact that we can have in the short-term and long-term. We do have to teach a lot of skills, and we have to work really hard. But man, is it worth it," said Allen.

“My world definitely expanded when I started working here." says Rodriguez. "I met a lot of new people and I have become far more social. So I met new people at school and my church. I've become more of a person in my community.”

School professionals tell parents to keep an eye on how many hours a week their teens are working. With the staffing shortage, they could be asked to work more than they should be.

If your teen is 14 years of age and older and interested in a part-time job, parents must start by filling out a consent form that you can obtain from the school guidance office or school nurse.