CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Around Charlotte, there are signs of a struggling economy.
Business owners are still working to find enough staff, which has some companies turning to teenagers to fill in the gaps.
At Dilworth Neighborhood Grille, it's no secret. The day-to-day operation hasn't been easy.
“You still have a hard time buying anything you want, you still have a hard time hiring anybody, and people are still hard to get along with," said Matt Wohlfarth, the restaurant's owner.
He has had to lure in employees to work at the popular sports bar. Notably, he has had luck with getting teens on board.
Wohlfarth said most of the people who work the night shift, are 21 years old.
“We’ve had plenty of teenagers work in here and for the most part, have been excellent employees," he said.
And the numbers show he's right to dip into that talent pool. Right now, teenagers are in hot demand.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate for teens aged 16 to 19 is about 33%. It's growth that hasn't been seen in decades, which means more Gen Zers are participating in the labor force in greater numbers than previous ones.
“They were somewhat interested in working at $10 an hour, $11 an hour -- at $15 an hour you got their attention," said Steven Cox, Professor of Marketing at Queens University of Charlotte.
While there are no simple answers to addressing the nationwide shortage of workers, Cox points to a few key issues driving it, like child care being expensive. That, for example, is forcing parents to stay home or even making people in older generations retire.
“We have the same amount or more jobs, and the pool of available people to work in them is not there, so teenagers can fill that gap," Cox said.
Wohlfarth says teens have been an underutilized resource for some businesses, but in his experience, teen work makes the dream work.
“A lot of times they’re well-mannered, the parents have done a great job teaching them what not to do," he said. "It's not always the case, but if I stereotyped it, they’re great employees."
It's also important to note teens make up a big part of the summer job market.
Wohlfarth said Dilworth Neighborhood Grille will probably lose a few teens as the next semester of school approaches, so the plan is to hire at least a dozen more people.
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.