The number of adolescents spending significant amounts of nonschool hours in the workplace is increasing. In the past, policymakers and educators argued that part-time employment facilitated transition into adult’ hood. Systematic investigations, however, have raised serious concerns about the benefits and costs of youth work. The authors explore the empirical literature regarding the impact of part-time employment on various aspects of adolescent development and discuss the implications of these findings for social work practice and future research.
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