Carson City, Nev. May 29, 2014—As it does every year around this time, the association representing the small-business owners of America issues its summer hiring warnings concerning youth.
“Hiring teenagers for summer jobs has some requirements every business owner should know, but there is also a much broader concern with regular labor,” said Randi Thompson, Nevada state director for the National Federation of Independent Business, America’s Voice of Small Business.
“While Nevada’s unemployment rate is hovering around 8 percent, the rate for Nevada’s teens, ages 16-19, is 25 percent. It’s hard enough for this age group to find summer work in Nevada’s slow economy, but when you look at the restrictions we have on overtime, the concern over health insurance requirements, and threats from Washington to raise the minimum wage, I fear we’ll only see that number increasing as the summer rolls on,” Thompson said.
Tim Wulf, owner of two Jimmy Johns Sandwich shops in Reno, is dependent upon young adults to work at his stores, but he is concerned that potential regulations and legislation are making it more difficult to hire young people.
“To be competitive, businesses have to contain costs, and that means holding down labor costs,” Wulf said. “The increasing regulatory environment, possible increases in minimum wage, and mandatory overtime are only making labor more expensive, so retailers have no choice but to look more affordable options. I see businesses investing more in existing staff to increase productivity, especially through the use of technology and robotics that can interact with customers.
“We’ll continue to see more capital directed towards technology when labor becomes too expensive, and youth labor is particularly vulnerable to this trend. Consequently, the demand for youth labor will continue to diminish. Minimum wage is no longer an entry-level wage. Job applicants of all ages are now competing for jobs, and entry-level workers will find it more difficult to compete.”
A 406-word guest editorial on the five main warnings concerning summer hiring of youth can be found on the NFIB/Nevada website. Media are free to use it as content for their publications and websites, or as background for any related stories. A link to a related video is also provided. The main points about youth hiring are:
- The rules apply to them
- Students 13 and younger have limited options when it comes to summer jobs
- If they’re 14 or 15, their prospects are better
- If they’re 16 or 17, they’re allowed to work up a sweat and earn serious money
- If they’re 18 or older, legally, they’re adults
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For more than 70 years, the National Federation of Independent Business has been the Voice of Small Business, taking the message from Main Street to the halls of Congress and all 50 state legislatures. NFIB annually surveys its members on state and federal issues vital to their survival as America’s economic engine and biggest creator of jobs. NFIB’s educational mission is to remind policymakers that small businesses are not smaller versions of bigger businesses; they have very different challenges and priorities.
National Federation of Independent Business/Nevada
140 Washington St. #150
Reno, NV 89503
775-830-8407
