Not really tax free. He just chooses not to report it as income.
My 12 year old nephews have jobs as baseball umpires. As they get older they’ll get to do the next level up and in future summers will have all the work they can handle. Their town hosts some kind of baseball tournament every weekend all summer.
My other nephew was a lifeguard in the summer and made a lot teaching private swim lessons at that pool. He’s also a referee for lax, and basically sets his own hours. He can work a weekend tournament and make $700-1000.
The investment in becoming a ref/ump is usually some kind of training course (a day or a weekend) and a striped shirt.
@MassDaD68 my S had a similar experience - several jobs said they did not want to train him if he was going to leave in August.
He had no interest in being a camp counselor and that is what a lot of my neighbors kids do for summer. The supermarkets also seem to hire a lot of teens as baggers but not sure if they look for more than a summer commitment. My S was persistent in looking (he had started over Spring break), Finally got a job scooping ice cream at end of May only because someone else had just quit. My only frustration is that the schedule varies and comes out weekly so it makes it hard to plan ahead. As low man on totem pole, he is working Father’s Day.
I think it is important for the kids also to understand it is an approximately 3 month commitment and the expectation is they won’t take time off for family vacations and with some exceptions work the schedules that are posted. I know some kids who did not work because the parents didn’t want the kids working the kind is schedules they sometimes get assigned. It can be a trade-off.
Depending on the position, young adults can also show commitment by saying they would consider returning to the job at the holidays or breaks or next summer. Of course this doesn’t apply to all jobs and of course you can’t guarantee it but it might appeal to a hiring staff member to know that he could be a repeat employee who doesn’t have to be fully retrained.
It depends on where you live. If you’re in a high tax and regulation area (northeast), those small company jobs are moving to other places. High tax/regulation limits growth and creates artificial shortages for goods and services. Tight profit margins and inflated costs mean companies can’t expand to hire more people. That’s why your son can’t find a job.
Especially where they are mandating wages and benefits.
^Actually, OP is from MA and unemployment in New England is very low overall. A lot of us from the area have remarked that jobs are available. To the extent employers are moving elsewhere in many parts of New England, it is likely because they can’t find workers.
Unemployment Rates/Rankings, April 2018, Bureau of Labor Statistics:
MA 3.5% #18
ME 2.7% #4
NH 2.6% #2
VT 2.8% #5
@doschicos I agree with your sentiment. That is what is driving me crazy. All the economic stats indicate we are reaching full employment. The headline say all willing able bodies who want work can get it. Not here in MA. He is still without work and the summer is about to begin.
I am going to have him see if he can get hired by one of these on-line tutor companies. If you cannot find work locally then maybe by going on-line he can access areas and places that do have jobs available.
So frustrating.