McDonald's Faces Teen Labor Shortage ("fewer teenagers working period")

ChicagoBusiness ^ | July 23, 2007 | David Sterrett

[fight_truth_decay]

The People Report Workforce 2006 survey underscores that the labor-intensive restaurant industry (which will need 1.6 million new workers by 2010) faces a significant challenge due to a shrinking pool of potential employees, and their migration to other industries – notably retail, grocery, banking, and healthcare. To remain competitive, the survey urges “aggressive” and “proactive” measures in the areas of compensation/benefits. But at a time when competitive pay and top benefits, such as health insurance and 401K plans are essential to attract quality employees, restaurateurs must also cope with skyrocketing costs. Teresa Siriani, pres., People Report, suggests that restaurateurs get creative. “Why not figure out what’s important to your employees and then be as innovative as you can be?” She says perks such as flexible schedules are increasingly meaningful as workers of all ages seek to balance personal and professional activities. And things such as better checking rates, direct deposit, pet insurance, health care memberships, corporate programs with cell phone companies, legal assistance – even better deals with a car dealership – can have minimal costs but high impact. She underscores the importance of asking employees what would be important to them – which can be as diverse as the employee base. “No perk or benefit means anything if people don’t want it,” she cautions.

[muawiyah]

It's the "undocumented tourists". Every chance they get they threaten and intimidate younger Americans who attempt to work at these places.

The solution is to send the tourists back home. They've had their fun. Now it's time to get outta' our face.

[Screamname]

Mike Nifong is available.

[fight_truth_decay]

James "Slim Jim" A. Skinner is the Vice Chairman and Chief executive officer (CEO) of McDonald's voted to the position in November, 2004. He has confessed (off the record, in a sports bar) to Fox News reporter Susan Yeo that he has never personally eaten a McDonald's. He is a vegan.[1]

[endthematrix]

"About half the employees in the fast-food industry are between 16 and 25 years old. "

And the other half are above 25...

I'm sure there's a growing trend that older lower skilled workers are attracted to the higher pay that McD's offers compared to other vocations.

[JoanneSD]

We have a lot of undocumented tourists here as well.. and they are not teen agers working the Mc Donalds... lots look like in their 30’s or over.. career employees...

[ken21]

i’ve noticed less teens working for several decades in socal.

once asian immigrant families get their businesses going they want their kids on the education job all day.

generally, as people become more wealthy they don’t expect their kids to work.

as bill handel of radio kfi am 640 famously said: “my kids are not flipping burgers!”

[Wiggins]

It must of been cold inside the restaurant when they took this picture.

[Obie Wan]

Well if you make 10 BILLION dollars on your Eastern-U.S. division alone maybe you should pay the help more and you might not have such a shortage !!!

[Weeedley]

The kids of today are handed cars, cell phones and ipods and debit cards by doting but fool parents, so why sling hamburgers like we had to in the olden days?

[Tanniker Smith]

I walked into a McD’s in Lower Manhattan a couple of months ago. One of my studetns was mopping in the back and spotted me. I later found out that 5 or 6 guys from my high school work there at some time during the week, and they’re all proud of that fact. A couple of them graduated last month. Good luck to them.

[Clemenza]

When I was in high school, I moved to Boca Raton, FL. My fellow classmates referred to working at McDonald's as "Haitian work" and would look down on you if you even thought about flipping burgers. A crying shame if you ask me.

(BTW: I worked at Blockbuster instead).

[rottndog]

I'd like to see this chart...

juxtaposed to one that shows the increase in the percentage of these jobs that are filled with illegal aliens. My guess is that the two charts show the drop in teen age employment corresponds directly (or pretty close) to the rise in illegal alien employment.

[tioga]

LOL

[kingu]

The kids of today are handed cars, cell phones and ipods and debit cards by doting but fool parents, so why sling hamburgers like we had to in the olden days?

That's half the problem, the other half is the abundance of cheap (in some people's viewpoints) companies eager to do what should be chores for a child. If you have a gardener who does your lawn care, why should a young pre-teen or teen be encouraged to get out a lawnmower and do it, vs having neighborhood teens do it in the first place, and your teen eager to get in on the racket of an extra $100 bucks a month in pocket.

Parents, go make the kids do something, else don't come back and complain when they're 25 and still living at home.

[Clemenza]

Every chance they get they threaten and intimidate younger Americans who attempt to work at these places.

Oh PUH-LEEZE! If I would have let the bruthas intimidate me when I worked a graveyard shift job at a hotel in Chicago while in Grad School, I would have had ZERO respect for yourself.

Any moron who feels "intimidated" by the "other" squats when they pee...

[Screamname]

Here in New York city, I use to work at Nathans after school in the mid to late `70`s and would go home with $40 a week which was like gold to me as before that I had a paper route delivering Penny Savers every Saturday which netted me a huge lump sum check of $20 at the end of the month! Wooo! To this day I remember my mother flipping out because I took my brother to a local carnival and we blew the whole $20 throwing balls at cans, shooting paper ducks just to win anything, which we eventually did which was a Rod Stewart poster even though we had no idea who Rod Stewart was.

[ran20]

I know for my extended family for the kids there is little point working at a place like McDonalds. They do like 4 hour shifts, paying maybe 6 dollars an hour. That is all of 24$.. then minus off transport expenses and other expenses related to work.

Its better imo to volunteer even for something related to the career they are working towards. Either a highly specialized trade or a profession depending on the aptitude and interests of the kid.

The early shortages we have seen so far though are nothing compared to what is going to happen when the baby boom retires from the good government and corporate jobs. That will open up countless good jobs for the young. Wages are going to rocket ship upwards.

[Abigail Adams]

Yep, you’ve nailed it. Today’s parents seem to be afraid to make their kids work. They are afraid to say no to their kids in general. They buy their kids new cars and expensive electronics without batting an eye. Lots of kids don’t even have household chores that they have to do.

As soon as I turned 15, my mom marched me down to the local Wendy’s and had me apply for a job. After working there for a year, I got a job at McD’s. There was no shame in it at all. It made us feel like we were growing up to have jobs and earn some money.

[Fast Ed97]

I worked since I was 16 but never in fast food. Ugly uniforms and it just had an embarrassing connotation. I worked on a buffet and washed dishes instead.