If you’ve ever wondered why it’s so hard for teenagers to land that first summer job or after-school shift, the answer is simple: government-mandated minimum wages are pricing them out of the workforce.
Look at the numbers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national teen unemployment rate (ages 16–19) is about 12.7%.
But in states like California and Washington – where politicians have set minimum wages at $16.50 and $16.66 an hour – the rate shoots way up: 21.2% in California and nearly 15% in Washington.
Compare that with Kansas or Tennessee, where the minimum wage is still $7.25, and the teen unemployment rate is much lower, at 7.6% and 10.9%.
That’s not just a coincidence.
Teens Are Competing With Adults – and Losing
For decades, starter jobs at diners, grocery stores, or small shops gave young people their first taste of responsibility. You learned how to show up on time, work hard, deal with customers, and earn your own money.
These jobs weren’t necessarily the beginning of a life-long career. They were more like stepping stones.
But today, when the law forces businesses to pay even untrained teenagers $15 or more an hour, a lot of employers simply stop hiring teens.
Instead, they give those shifts to adults with experience. Teens lose out, and businesses lose the chance to train the next generation of workers.
Other Countries Get It – Why Can’t We?
This isn’t just common sense; it’s backed up by studies.
A review of policies in other countries found that “both the relative employment and labor force participation rates of individuals below the age of 25 are about 10 and 12 percentage points higher, respectively, in countries with youth minimum wages, as compared to countries with uniform minimum wages.”
In other words, when teens are allowed to work at a lower starter wage, more of them get jobs. About half of the countries in the OECD already do this, but most U.S. states refuse.
Nevada Teens Are Getting Shut Out
Here in Nevada, the minimum wage is $12 an hour, higher than the federal $7.25.
That might sound good if you’re already working, but it makes it harder for a 16-year-old kid in Las Vegas or Reno to get hired in the first place.
According to data compiled by the Employment Policies Institute, Nevada ranks in the “high wage + high unemployment” category. That means a lot of teens here are struggling to even find that first paycheck.
This hits working-class families especially hard. A kid from Summerlin South might not need the money as badly, but a teen in North Las Vegas or rural Nevada who wants to help with gas money or college savings gets locked out.
The Case for a Teen Wage
One solution is obvious: create a separate teen minimum wage, around $5 or $6 an hour, for workers under 18.
These are not “career wages.” They’re learning wages. They give young people the chance to get in the door, and once they gain experience, they can move up quickly.
Critics argue this would “exploit” teens, but that misses the point. Nobody is forcing anyone to take these jobs.
What’s more exploitative – earning $6 an hour at your first job, or being told you can’t work at all because you’re too expensive to hire?
The Domino Effect
California even went further and now requires $20 an hour for fast-food workers. Not surprisingly, more and more restaurants are turning to automation and self-service kiosks.
That’s not just cutting teen jobs – it’s eliminating them altogether.
High minimum wages may sound compassionate, but they come with a cost. And too often, that cost is paid by kids who are trying to get their foot in the door.
If Nevada lawmakers really want to help our teens, they should give them a chance to work by adopting a lower teen minimum wage.
Nothing teaches responsibility like that first paycheck – and right now, too many of our kids aren’t even getting the chance.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
