According to The U.S. Census, “More than 1 in 4 high school students age 16 and older work. That’s more than 3 million workers nationwide.”

High school students are part of that work force.

“Most of my friends have or have had a job. I know that several of my friends have had at least three jobs. I work as a hostess at a restaurant at the moment,” senior Hailey Joseph said.

Most teens today are working.

According to The Bump, “If your teen works as a busboy at the local diner, he will have to work with his team — the cook and wait staff — to ensure that the establishment stays clean and the customers have quick and reliable service. This can also help him later in life when he begins his after-college career and must collaborate with co-workers on projects or in meetings.”

“My job, at the library, gives me experience working with older people and learning from them. I get to talk to them and learn from what they know. Its teaching me how I need to act and what I should do in the workplace,”junior, Emma Hamilton said.

Teamwork is a benefit, but money can also be important.

According to the Business Insider, “Teens are spending most of their money on food. Starbucks remains the perennial favorite among all teens for food-and-drink spending. Food accounts for 23% of teen spending, followed by clothing (20%), accessories (10%), video games (8%), cars (8%), electronics (8%), and shoes (7%). The rest is spent on music, movies and events.”

“I pay mostly for gas and I buy mainly what I want, like clothes and food. It’s nice having my own money, because I don’t have to worry about having my parents buying me things,” Joseph said.

Having money is convenient for a teen, but can interfere with personal time.

“I still have plenty of time for my friends and family, because I always do stuff with my friends in and out of school. I go out to dinners with my family, watch T.V. with them, and do lots of other stuff too,” senior Sami Delong said.

Most jobs can bring stressful situations along with them, such as being laid off or working hard.

“Working can be very stressful at certain times, like when a customer is negative towards you or if it’s really busy, there are many circumstances in which things can be stressful. My job is mainly laid back and relaxed, though,” senior Joey Montgomery said.

Jobs teach life skills, like responsibility and money management.

The Durham Voice wrote, “They can also get a taste of the real world and an added bonus is that jobs can keep them out of trouble.”

“Jobs do teach you to be responsible. They teach you teamwork, it teaches you how to budget your money, and it helps your social skills,” Delong said.