Why more jobs for teenage girls?
Historically, more women than men tend to take jobs as cashiers, salespersons, or food and beverage servers in retail trade and accommodation and food services. And these were the occupations and industries with above-average rates of employment growth during the 1997-to-2004 period. Employment growth for teenagers was less in some of the more male-dominated industries, such as manufacturing, natural resources, agriculture, and transportation and warehousing during this period. Although teenage boys were able to find jobs in construction, their shares in the other male-dominated sectors declined. In 2004, only 16% of male teens were employed in manufacturing, natural resources, agriculture, and transportation and warehousing, compared with 21% in 1997.