Over the summer, while friends of mine were lifeguarding and working at local shops, I was cooking pasta, monitoring piano practice, and vacuuming Dorito crumbs from the floor of my car. But, I was making well over the minimum wage, tax free.
My personal experience with babysitting reflects the economic principle of demand. I have found that leaving my phone on during school proves problematic when mothers text me asking for my services on the same days and times. In some cases, demand for my childcare services is so high that mothers now book me weeks, sometimes months in advance at hourly rates almost double minimum wage.
However, this principle not only applies to Chagrin Falls, but apparently nation-wide. For example, during a visit with my cousin in a Central Park playground, I was asked by a New York City mother whether I babysat. Unfortunately, I do not reside in the city. But I wonder how much an excellent babysitter makes in a city with a high cost of living.
Due to the summer’s demand for child care, I made the choice to babysit rather than seeking employment at a local shop or grocery store. I have found that the opportunity cost to vacuuming Doritos, wiping faces, and helping with homework is very low. While over 25% of teenagers were unemployed in August, I do not face this problem (High teen unemployment cuts learning opportunities, USA Today 9/6/11). Due to the demand I have experienced in Chagrin Falls for my services, I have gained insight to the world of business, employers, and customers. Moreover, I have discovered how marketable a teenager can be when there is great demand for a service.
By the way, Mr. Womack, I can drive.
I concur with your statement that any tax evasive job is certainly more profitable and preferable. Unfortunately, in my own work experience at a tutoring company, much of my paycheck goes directly into my social security account. It's certainly difficult working minimum wage a few hours a week and having your hard earn cash disappear into a governmental drain hole. I can only hope for more demand!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with everything about tax evasive jobs and ultimately the outrageous economic standards of babysitting. I worked at the Rec this summer and I received many babysitting jobs, but I also talked with the moms there about how much they used to get paid. They always said "back in the day" that babysitting was well beneath minimum wage and now years later it is much higher. I am not completely sure what caused this dramatic shift in the economics of babysitting, but the demand for babysitters have risen to a point where it benefits me so I do not care!
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