Several studies revealed how early work affects education, skills, and long-term careers. Across countries, research shows that starting a full-time work too early particularly before completing education can have long term costs. (Image: AI Generated)
Studies link early full-time employment during school years to:
– Lower educational attainment
– Reduced lifetime earnings
– Higher stress and poorer health outcomes. (Image: AI Generated)
This is why most countries have strict regulations on child and adolescent labour and strongly emphasise that education should be the top priority. Experts and scientists do not support replacing schooling with early employment, regardless of how appealing the idea of earning money at a young age may appear. (Image: AI Generated)
Research reviewed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows that part-time work during school years is very different from entering full-time employment at an early age. (Image: AI Generated)
In its policy brief “Teenage Part-Time Working,” the OECD analysed international longitudinal studies that followed students into adulthood. The findings suggest that moderate part-time work alongside education can function as an early step toward career development rather than a barrier to learning. (Image: AI Generated)
According to the OECD, part-time work can serve as “a source of skills and experience that support young people’s transition from education into work,” as long as it does not interfere with their schooling. (Image: AI Generated)
What Skills Does Early Part-Time Work Build?
– Communication and interpersonal skills through customer-facing roles.
– Time management and discipline while balancing studies and work.
– Workplace awareness, including teamwork and responsibility.
– Confidence and clarity about career preferences. (Image: AI Generated)
Labour market data across developed economies shows a consistent patterns:
– Late Teens: limited, part-time or seasonal work
– Early 20s: transition from education to employment
– Early to mid-20s: entry into stable, full-time roles. (Image: AI Generated)
Hence, 22-25 often emerge as the starting point for serious careers—not because research has declared them the “best” age to begin working, but because they usually align with the completion of higher education, stronger skill development, and access to better-quality job opportunities. (Image: AI Generated)
However, there is no perfect age to start working. Research supports three principles:
– Education should not be sacrificed fir early earnings.
– Part-time work during studies can build valuable life and work skills.
– Full-time careers begun after completing education often in the early 20s tend to offer better long-term outcomes. (Image: AI Generated)
