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10 | SPRING 2018 Teenage work permit The responsibilities and skills that come with a job can benefi t your teen. By Haley Shapley nce your child reaches the teen years, he or she might be itching to upgrade those chores around the house to an after-school job — something that provides a little extra pocket money, responsibility and freedom. "It's defi nitely not a bad thing for teenagers to pick up an after-school job, especially as they're nearing the end of their high school careers," says Jamie Wharton, market- ing coordinator at Earnest, a San Francisco-based lending company. "Part-time jobs help teens save money, learn the value of work and [develop] skills that might be useful later on in life." However, fewer teens than ever before are working. In 1979, almost 58 percent of 16- to 19-year-olds worked. Today, that number has fallen to around 34 percent and is projected to con- tinue to decrease, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Reasons include more-strenuous coursework, more extracurricular activities and competition from older workers for jobs. That raises the question: Are after- school jobs still a viable option for teens, and what do parents need to know to guide their kids? Employment pros and cons In learning, there's no substitute for hands-on experience, and a job O