Why Are Weekend Jobs for Teenagers Becoming Scarce?

Teenagers aged 16 and 17 face increasing difficulty securing part-time jobs due to high youth unemployment, economic pressures on businesses, and competition from older jobseekers. Experts advise building experience and proactive job applications.

Challenges Facing Teenagers Seeking Weekend Jobs

Many people recall the excitement of receiving their first pay packet as a teenager. However, for numerous 16 and 17-year-olds today, securing a part-time job appears increasingly difficult.

Youth unemployment has reached its highest level in a decade, which may be causing younger teenagers to be edged out by older jobseekers.

Megan, a 17-year-old student at a sixth form college, has spent several months searching for work to support herself financially while studying.

"It's so hard," she said. "I've tried applying on websites but they don't accept you if you don't have work experience. "But how are you going to get that work experience if nobody lets you get it? It makes me feel like I'm not wanted… It's just horrible."

Megan's experience is shared by others. Elsebeth, also 17, reported applying for numerous jobs online.

"It's sort of impossible to be honest," she said. "You apply for loads of them but you don't even hear anything back. Because you're a younger person, they don't want to actually give you any job, usually they just want full-time people."

Mavi considers himself fortunate to have found employment at 16 through a connection of his father's, noting that many of his peers have not been as lucky.

"I think employers have an image in their head that you're young, you're not really going to take it seriously but, in the case of my friend group, I don't think that holds up at all," he said.

Image shows a student called Mavi. He is looking off to the left side. He has brown short hair. He is smiling. He had a white hoodie on and a brown jacket over the top. You can see the straps of his backpack which are black. He has a pair of black headphones round his neck. The whole background is filled with a large green bush. — Mavi says he was "lucky" to get a job at 16 through his dad's friend

Business Perspective on Hiring Young Workers

Despite these challenges, some employers recognize the value of hiring young people. Neil Wyatt, owner of the South Downs Social cafe in Winchester, which has operated for five years, has employed many teenagers.

"We've always found young people to be super hard-working, super committed and they just bring a different energy on a busy Saturday or Sunday when we're full," he said. "They learn skills that will be with them for the rest of their life. They have to deal with customers, they learn how to build relationships with people. "I think it's really important we find a way to bring people into the world of work as young as possible."

Image shows Neil Wyatt, a cafe owner in Winchester. He has light brown hair which is slicked over. He has a beard and is smiling at the camera. He is wearing a blue denim-look shirt with a white top underneath. Behind him is a metal shelf with little cubby holes. Each cubby hole is filled with a number of items the shop sells such as coffee beans, butter and books. On top of the cabinet is a number of green plants in black pots. — Cafe owner Neil Wyatt says young people "bring a different energy"

However, Neil acknowledged that hiring young workers can involve additional challenges for businesses.

"You are taking on perhaps a little more risk than someone who is already established in the job market. "They're going to need a bit more time and attention than someone who has already been there and done the job."

The current economic environment also affects hiring decisions.

"In the last three years, we've seen the average cost of the price for food go up by 25%, we've seen our energy costs go up 35%, the national living wage has gone up by just under 40%. "All those things are leaving ever smaller margins… and, therefore, we're less likely to take a risk on a young person when we can go for someone more established and who can work full time."

Impact of Youth Unemployment on Younger Teenagers

Higher unemployment rates among 18 to 24-year-olds also affect younger teenagers seeking work.

Dr Conor O'Kane, economics professor at Bournemouth University, explained:

"We've seen a lot of stuff in the news about graduates struggling to get jobs."

With youth unemployment, defined as those aged 18 to 24, at 16%, there is significantly more competition for 16 and 17-year-olds in traditional roles such as hospitality and catering.

"There is just much more competition" for these jobs, he added.

The image shows a Senior Lecturer in Economics at the University of Bournemouth. He is sat on a beige sofa. Behind him are two white desks with black office chairs. To the right of him is a pink banner. He has short brown hair and black glasses. He is wearing a blue shirt with a white top underneath. Over the top, he has a blue hoodie. — Dr Conor O'Kane says 16 and 17-year-olds face more competition

Recent Changes in Minimum Wage and Employment Statistics

Starting next month, the National Minimum Wage for under-18s will increase to £8 per hour. This represents a 73% rise over the past five years, up from £4.62 in the financial year beginning April 2021.

Despite this increase, only about 20% of 16 to 17-year-olds were employed between November 2025 and January 2026, according to the UK Labour Force Survey.

Unemployment rates for this age group stood at 29% during this period, reflecting those actively seeking work. This contrasts with the number of economically inactive individuals.

Many 16 to 17-year-olds are engaged in full-time education, which contributes to a lower employment rate and higher economic inactivity compared to 18 to 24-year-olds.

For the 18 to 24 age group, 30% were economically inactive and 14.5% were unemployed.

Across both age groups in the quarter ending January this year, 45% were in full-time education, and 30% of those were also working.

Advice for Young Jobseekers

Sadie Sharp, chief executive of The Platform Project, a non-profit organisation based in Swindon that has supported young people in developing workplace skills for ten years, offers three recommendations for young jobseekers.

"First, building micro experiences on your CV, such as running a community project or getting a day's work experience," she said.

"The second one would be to try and put yourself in front of those employers - record a mini-video, personally drop your CV in, do an introduction email with your CV so you stand out as a person."