Whatever happened to Saturday jobs?

Saturday and holiday jobs used to be a rite of passage for teenagers, so what has happened? Absolutely Education investigates

Rather like Monty Python’s ‘Four Yorkshiremen’ sketch, get adults of a certain age together and they wax lyrical about the hardships of their Saturday and holiday jobs. There was the permafrost of early morning paper rounds, that long hot summer in the bowels of a factory, and the travails of working a till that didn’t even tell you how much change to hand back.

And, in another parallel with the famous sketch, that first foray into employment – however menial – made teenagers feel lucky. Earning cash meant a measure of independence, a sense of making their own way. Parents, meanwhile, saw jobs as a useful way to encourage self-discipline (getting up, turning up, taking orders). Also, perhaps, a salutary reminder to slacking teens of the importance of studying to open up career opportunities beyond shop or factory floor.

But something has happened to the teenage jobs market – the statistics are dramatic, especially in recent times. The number of teenagers with Saturday jobs halved between 2010 and 2020, according to data from the Resolution Foundation, with only a quarter of young people having some paid employment. Look back to the turn of the Millennium and almost half (48%) of young people aged 16 and 17 had some form of conventional paid work. It’s a similar story for holiday jobs. Last December, a report in the Daily Telegraph highlighted that only a little over 20% of 16- and 17-year-olds in education had held down a summer job.

“The number of young teenagers with Saturday jobs halved between 2010 and 2020, with only a quarter having some paid employment”

The article pointed to a potential shift in attitudes among many young people – one employer suggested they are far less motivated by money and see such employment as something to help them earn the cash they want for a specific goal, not a routine to stick with. This, the article suggested, has reduced the supply of suitable jobs, as employers have looked elsewhere to fill roles that used to be filled by teenagers.

Statistics don’t tell the whole story. Paper rounds and retail work are less abundant now that so many people get their news and their shopping online. And summer factory jobs for older teens have dwindled in line with our shrinking manufacturing base. There is also more legislation and issues such as insurance have made employing teenagers harder (see What’s the law?).

Many young people – especially boarders and those who have Saturday school or weekend sports fixtures – are written out of the employment market on a Saturday. Their parents may also consider a holiday job to be a bad idea because, after a full-on academic year packed with extracurricular activities, time off to recharge with family is top priority. Parents can reasonably argue that there are opportunities to pick up job experience later – borne out by the fact that well over half of university undergraduates work alongside their studies, according to NUS (National Union of Students) surveys.

Still, among some parents, there’s a niggling worry about the fact children don’t have the same opportunity to earn. Even the lowliest role teaches a lot about the value of money accrued through your own labour. It also gives early lessons about employer expectations, especially on attitude and diligence, helping to avoid career fails down the line.

Job seeking

For teenagers who are keen and available for jobs, there are still opportunities out there. Some retail chains, including supermarkets and clothing stores, accept students for seasonal work or Saturday shifts. Competition tends to be fierce for these roles, which may come with perks such as staff discount.

Hospitality roles in the cafe, restaurant and pub trade may be easier to find, as staff are often employed less formally on a ‘needs must’ basis during busy times. Working as a pot washer, porter or cleaner is hard, but it’s often an entry point to securing regular seasonal work, perhaps moving up to a front-of-house role once you’ve earned your stripes. This is a ‘banker’ for the longer term for students keen to earn cash if they return home during long university holidays.

“Even the lowliest job role lets young people gain some sense of the real value of money earned through labour”

When applying for Saturday and holiday roles, a face-to-face approach nearly always gets better results. Taking in a CV, however short on job experience, is important. Being available if a job offer comes in at short notice and accepting conditions such as a trial shift show willing. For more informal roles in, say, dog walking babysitting or gardening, it’s definitely worth asking around among neighbours and friends as local networks can prove more fruitful than formal applications.

If a paid Saturday or seasonal job is impractical, for whatever reason, it’s still possible to start building work experience. Periods volunteering in a local animal rescue or stables or helping out at a local charity shop are all valuable ways to add something beyond school to the CV.

Informal and unpaid assistance at really local level can also evidence ability to ‘muck in’. From volunteering for a local event to fundraising for charity or becoming a care home visitor, it all adds to the skillset. Taking pay out of the equation opens up opportunities that show as much, if not more, of the mindset and people skills that future employers will respect.  

What’s the law?

* Children can work part-time for up to 12 hours a week from age 14, rising to 25 hours in school holidays.
* There are specific restrictions on certain types, hours and places of employment for children.
* At age 15 and 16, children can work up to 35 hours a week in school holidays.
* At 16, employers may have to pay PAYE and at 18 adult employment rights apply.
* Go to gov.uk/child-employment for detailed advice – plus guidance on accessing local council regulations on child employment.

Further reading: University choices – beyond the ‘Big Four’