Opportunities for Teens During the Summer (continued)

Not all employment of youth workers is covered under the FLSA. In addition, some jobs held by youths—such as delivering newspapers and performing in motion pictures and theatrical, radio, and television productions—are specifically exempted from child labor laws. The following is an overview of some FLSA provisions that apply to teen workers.

Nonagricultural employment. This type of work includes jobs in retail, food service, construction, manufacturing, and any other nonfarm establishment. Nonagricultural employment encompasses the majority of teens’ summer jobs, providing jobs for 96 percent of them in July 2002.

• The minimum age for nonagricultural employment is 16. However, 14- and 15-year-olds may be employed for certain periods—outside of school hours—in jobs that will not interfere with their health and well-being. Examples include retail, food service, and gasoline service establishments.
• Teenagers 16 years of age and older may work at any time of the day for unlimited hours.
• Workers under age 18 are prohibited from performing nonagricultural occupations that have been deemed particularly hazardous or detrimental to their health or well-being. Examples include jobs in excavation, logging, roofing, demolition, and meatpacking.

Agricultural employment. This type of work includes jobs performed on farms. Agricultural employment accounted for about 4 percent of teen employment in July 2002.

• A child working in agriculture on a farm owned or operated by his or her parent is exempted from Federal agricultural child labor provisions.
• The Secretary of Labor declared certain agricultural tasks to be particularly hazardous, and therefore prohibited, for employees under age 16. These tasks include operating potentially dangerous machinery, handling pesticides or explosives, and transporting dangerous materials.
• The FLSA prohibits farmworkers under age 16 from working during school hours, but it neither prohibits their employment during other times of the day nor limits the number of daily or weekly hours they may be employed.

A Web site—Youth Rules!—created by the U.S. Department of Labor describes the regulations governing teen work. Presented in both English and Spanish, information on the site explains Federal and State rules about hours, wages, and occupations. In addition, the site contains links to youth statistics and job search advice. For more information, contact:

U.S. Department of Labor 200 Constitution Ave., NW. Washington, DC 20210 1 (866) 487-9243 (toll free) www.youthrules.dol.gov Tiffany Stringer is an economist formerly with the Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections, BLS.