Teens Filling Jobs Left Behind by Adults After the Pandemic

According to NewsWest 9, Strawberry Fields Cafe in Midland is one of those businesses that are not seeing their adults return for their jobs now that the state is opening back up and those positions are needed again.

"This year it’s been a little different with just employment altogether we don’t have the adults applying like we used to in the past," said Glenna Plummer, Manager at Strawberry Fields Cafe.

Plummer's staff is now five high school and college students working at the restaurant.

"We work here, make food, work on dining area. It’s a great place to work the tips are good the people are nice," said CC Nava, one of the high school employees.

This is being called the best time for teens to find work.

Usually the jobless rate among teens is around 13%, but right now it is 9.6%.

"The unemployment insurance has been as much as they’re making working so that’s a disincentive for people to return to work, however, it's more complicated than that also. Daycare is not reliable yet so many single moms, many working moms are not able to return to the workforce yet and also we still have a large number of people that are concerned about their health and don’t want to get in crowds yet," says Mickey Cargile, Founder and Managing Partner of Cargile Investment Management.

Plummer says that once the five high school and college employees she has head back to school in the next month, she will need those positions filled by adults.

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