A quarter-century ago, there were 56 teenagers in the labor force for every "limited service" restaurant — that is, the kind where you order at the counter.
Today, there are fewer than half as many, which is a reflection both of teenagers' decreasing work force participation and of the explosive growth in restaurants.
But in an industry where cheap labor is an essential component in providing inexpensive food, a shortage of workers is changing the equation upon which fast-food places have long relied. This can be seen in rising wages, in a growth of incentives, and in the sometimes odd situations that business owners find themselves in.
Too many restaurants, not enough teens to work in them.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Friday July 20 2018, @01:53PM
Back up a step. If the teen already owns a car and can afford the movies and the cellphone (stuff no teen used to have, hmmm), what does he need with a fast-food job?
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.