Although the ranks fill during summer months, fast-food restaurants have run into difficulties the past few years finding enough teenage workers that have long been the core of their employment base.

Reasons for the shortage of school-age workers have been attributed to many factors. Time for academics is increasing as students seek tutoring or work on extra projects, and extracurricular activities such as athletics has exploded with select teams that complete year around.

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the population of school age workers, 16-19 years old, has stayed level the past several years but the number of employed teenagers fell to 30 percent from 45 percent.

Teenage worker ranks swell as summer approaches as high school students take a break from activities and college students return home for a few months.

“Yes, and no,” Karen Rosales, manager of Sonic Drive-In in Wylie said about a shortage of teenage workers. “Over the last two school years, it has been more difficult.”

Joe Reavis • [email protected]

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