rs, one-third of juniors, and one-fifth of sophomores" work more than 20 hours per week--the equivalent of a half-time adult job (Viadero). Researchers do not always agree about whether there is "a distinct cutoff with respect to work hours, beyond which adolescents should not work" (Mortimer, Finch, Ryu, Shanahan & Call 1247). But they do agree that at over 20 hours per week there is a rapid "dropoff in the amount of time students spend on homework and increase in their feelings of detachment from school" (Viadero).
School performance is one of the major areas in which work has a negative effect. Studies have found that after-school jobs are "peculiarly American" and that students in other countries who score much better on standardized tests tend not to work at all compared to Americans (Viadero). The effects of working are related to both the students' physical condition and the amount of time available to them for school work.
Students who work, especially those who work at night, are "vulnerable to chronic fatigue and exhaustion" and are sometimes unable to remain awake during class (Mortimer & Finch 6). They also suffer other health effects, such as greater susceptibility to illness, since their general health is often impaired by "unhealthy lifestyles--diminished sleep and lack of exercise" (Mortimer & Finch 6). Researchers have also found that students who work have "higher rates of tardiness and misconduct" in school and that "less time is spent in doing homework" (Mortimer & Finch 7).
Some studies have indicated that students who work have lower grade point averages (GPA). But the link between lower GPA and working is not entirely clear because a "selection effect" may exist, that is "the notion that academically poorer students are disproportionately likely to hold a job" because they already have less interest in school and do not expect to do well there (Greenberger and Steinberg 116). But research has s...