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Do you remember your first job?

Unemployment rates are at 26 yr highs. Unfortunately for teens (16-19), the rate is the highest it's ever been since 1948 when they started keeping track. Let's hope times get better soon.

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/04/oh-what-a-time-to-be-young/

I started working (as a dishwasher on weekends) when I was 14. I made $1.25 an hr. I can still remember the satisfaction it gave me when I got my first paycheck ($25.00). I bought myself some new clothes for the upcoming school year, and flowers for my Mom. I felt so grown up. Ahhh, those were the days.

Posted by Bob Cumiskey, US Army Retired, Your Sun City Center, Florida ~ Realtor on 09/06/2009 12:14 PM

Comments (15)

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15 Comments on Do you remember your first job?

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I also got my first job when I was 14. I made $2.35/hr. working part time at a greenhouse. Wow, talk about a sweat shop!

I hear ya Jon. I worked in a German restaurant. The owner was a really mean guy (not really, just seemed like it) and his lovely wife was the sweetest woman you could ever meet. Every time he yelled at one of us, she would give us a break and something sweet to eat. What fun it was getting him to yell at us.

Hey Bob, I've missed seeing you around and truth be told, I was so usy this summer that I was rarely at AR myself!

My 1st job was working my my family's grocery store. I worked there for years and N E V E R got a raise. Family did not want to appear to play favorites. At least that was the excuse for not paying me more! have a good labor Day weekend!

Hey Russell, Good seeing you again too. Are you sure that's the real reason you didn't get the raise? Are you sure it had nothing to do with your work habits? J/K, I'm sure you were a hard and dedicated worker. I worked for my uncle one summer, and never got paid. He did give me some good life lessons though.

Bob - my first job was as an independant contractor when I was 12. I had a paper route, twice a week, 750 papers. I made around $40 a month. My first job working for someone else was at a company called Windoco. I made and installed aluminum framed sliding windows, doors and screens. I was 15, and it was the first time I had taxes withheld. What an eye opener. 47 years later, taxes are even worse. I made minimum wage, $1.15/hr.

Mike, The withholding taxes...oh yeah. I remember those early days when it seemed like the were hitting me left and right. My first union job really blew my mind when I saw they were taking more than the govt. Yikes! I still got laid off 3 yrs in a row. LOL

First paper route at 12 first dishwashing job at 15 i thought 1.40 an hour was like gold.

We had two newspapers in our town. I started delivering the morning one at age 12 and the afternoon one at age 13. I made $200 my first month. First actual job was as a dishwasher- 16 yrs. I think $2.65 plus tips. I remember loads of quarters in my pants every night. Only had one other minimum wage job after that.

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Bob- Newpapers seems to be the ticket here. I was a paperboy but when I turned 15 I worked for my father at a newspaper distributor on Saturday midnights.

We stuffed the sections of the NY Times after we unloaded the bundles from the truck. After they were stuffed we loaded them along with other papers on the trucks at 4am or so. Tough job for a kid but we had a great time making $4.50 a hour!

Bob...I remember working for a farmer for $1 an hour. Although, the Mrs. always through in a great peice of pie at the end of the day!

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My first job was hanging discount newspapers on doors. Couldn't even throw them, had to bag and hang. Fun job for a kid though. Also mowed lawns.

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$1. 65 an hour for my first job that w-2ed me. I had a job at 14 putting out barrels from a produce dept. for the hog man and emptying the old incinerators out but they were under the table.

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Bob, good to see you again! ;-)

I remember my first "real" job was at a brand new "Drug Fair" - minimum wage at the time was $1.65 and they were paying $1.80. WOW! I thought I had hit the jackpot. I was in high school at the time, working in the cosmetics department...boy, did I enjoy it, too.

I never cashed a single paycheck, though, it went straight to the bank. In those days, that was the safest place for it..LOL. Anyway, when it came time to buy my first new car, I paid cash with the money I had banked.

Thank you all for sharing your first jobs. I've always had great stories to pass on to my kids and neices and nephews on the importance of that first job - no matter how menial. I feel it helps build character and molds you into the person you ultimately become.

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