Australian kids as young as 12 are working after school

Children as young as 12 are making a living outside of school hours by holding down a job, a new study has revealed.

The Australian Institute of Family Studies report found kids were earning an average of $10 an hour working as babysitters, sales assistants, cashiers or waiters.

Working children aged between 12 and 13 were earning around $31 for up to three hours a week while 14 to 15 year olds were pocketing $77 for six hours of work.

The Institute’s Director Anne Hollonds said kids were turning to employment after school mainly for financial reasons.

‘This was less about saving up for something or helping with family expenses and more about earning every-day spending money,’ Ms Hollonds said.

‘Data from the ABS shows that girls’ jobs were likely to include work as baby-sitters, sales assistants, checkout operators and waiters while boys tended to work as labourers, sales assistants, kitchen hands and fast food cooks.’

The study found children were either working for a family business or farm – or holding down ‘informal’ jobs such as coaching a sports team or babysitting.

The Australian Institute of Family Studies report found kids were earning an average of $10 an hour working as babysitters, sales assistants, cashiers or waiters (stock image)

Working children aged between 12 and 13 were earning around $31 for up to three hours a week while 14 to 15 year olds were pocketing $77 for six hours of work (stock image)

And while there are around 16 per cent of children aged between 12 to 13 in the working industry, nearly 40 per cent have a job by the time they reach 14 and 15.

IFS’ senior research fellow Dr Jennifer Baxter said children living in outer regional or remote areas were likely to be employed than those in city areas.

The study – involving around 3,500 teens from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children – examined which kids are working, when and how often they worked.