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0 pointsjacobolus4y ago0 comments

> kids that had a job, any job before age 18 make 35% more than their peers over their lifetime

Just as with claims about college, there is a huge selection bias in this observation. (A substantially higher proportion of youngish Americans obtain a bachelors degree than have a job before age 18.)

Edit: Let’s be clear: there is obviously a huge selection bias when talking about college as well, which should not be ignored.

0 comments

dionidium4y ago

> A substantially higher proportion of Americans obtain a bachelors degree than have a job before age 18.

Is this true? I got a job as soon as I was legally allowed to and so did every one of my friends in high school. Where I'm from you were seen as kind of a loser if you didn't work over the summer, at least. I'd guess it was something like 90% of kids at my school worked at some point in high school.

Edit: Here's a chart [0]. These numbers are much smaller than I expected (although keep in mind this is a snapshot, not the percentage who at any point in high school will have had a job), but what's really surprising is that the number of high school kids working has collapsed since I was in high school.

[0] https://www.statista.com/statistics/477668/percentage-of-you...

rurp4y ago

Interesting. I'm also surprised by those numbers. I had a job in high school and so did most of my friends. Maybe not 90% of them, but I'm sure it was >60% of people I knew.

ghaff4y ago

Here's something more detailed from BLS. https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2017/article/teen-labor-force-p...

It suggests the difference is more teens in school. One can also imagine more focus on extracurriculars etc. within a certain demographic over a job flipping burgers.

nathanyz4y ago

Wonder what the cause is for the drop off from ~30% to under 20%?

Speculation but maybe boomer money allows their kids not to need to work as much as past.

jacobolusOP4y ago

Or more competition from older workers for entry-level service jobs, after the 2008 recession.

dionidium4y ago

Maybe it's whatever is causing a more general decline in labor force participation?

https://twitter.com/AlecStapp/status/1481468372911116295

1 more reply

tryptophan4y ago

Yes, but it is interesting which bias gets ignored and which one gets pointed out.

> Collage increases earnings!

"Yay lets send everyone to collage and give out >1T$ of loans"

> Early work experience increases earnings!

"Confounding factors and selection bias!"

1 more reply

texasbigdata4y ago

That’s the point?

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

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dionidium4y ago

> A substantially higher proportion of Americans obtain a bachelors degree than have a job before age 18.

[0] https://www.statista.com/statistics/477668/percentage-of-you...

rurp4y ago

Interesting. I'm also surprised by those numbers. I had a job in high school and so did most of my friends. Maybe not 90% of them, but I'm sure it was >60% of people I knew.

ghaff4y ago

Here's something more detailed from BLS. https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2017/article/teen-labor-force-p...

It suggests the difference is more teens in school. One can also imagine more focus on extracurriculars etc. within a certain demographic over a job flipping burgers.

nathanyz4y ago

Wonder what the cause is for the drop off from ~30% to under 20%?

Speculation but maybe boomer money allows their kids not to need to work as much as past.

jacobolusOP4y ago

Or more competition from older workers for entry-level service jobs, after the 2008 recession.

dionidium4y ago

Maybe it's whatever is causing a more general decline in labor force participation?

https://twitter.com/AlecStapp/status/1481468372911116295

1 more reply

tryptophan4y ago

Yes, but it is interesting which bias gets ignored and which one gets pointed out.

> Collage increases earnings!

"Yay lets send everyone to collage and give out >1T$ of loans"

> Early work experience increases earnings!

"Confounding factors and selection bias!"

1 more reply

texasbigdata4y ago

That’s the point?

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse