“If you want it, you can buy it with your own money,” said many moms and dads to their kids over the years. And for many students, summer is the perfect time to land first jobs.

But in recent years, youth employment has been on the decline.

During summer months, teens aged 14-19 account for 4.5% of the workforce, dominating customer service sectors.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, youth summer employment has declined 20% from July 2006 to July 2016.

During summer months, teens aged 14-19 account for 4.5% of the workforce, dominating customer service sectors. The decrease has been attributed to many factors, such as an increase in average pay, the growth of summer internships and a disbelief that students are “worth what they are being paid,” according to The Atlantic. Student employees of local retailers and restaurants shed light on the subject.  Junior Denesia Ragbeer who works at Ledo’s Pizza states that her manager is “more than ok with hiring students for the summer”, claiming that “most of the store is run by uss anyway.” When asked about advice to give to those applying for jobs, she states that you should “be as professional as possible” Fellow junior Sami Hussain says that the best way to obtain a job a Dunkin’ Donuts or anywhere else for the summer would be to “apply as soon as possible, and don’t wait until the end of May or June because most positions will be taken by then.”

In the end, summer jobs are a perfect opportunity for young students to acknowledge the pressures of having a job and juggling the pressures of work and school assignments.