College students clocking in fewer work hours, study shows

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According to a recent study, undergraduate students are cutting back on working hours and not looking for jobs as much as they used to.

The study — released Monday by the National Bureau of Economic Research — showed weekly hours put in at jobs by undergraduate students have dropped from 11 hours between 2000 and 2008 to eight hours from 2009 on. Although choosing to commit to a job depends on the individual, the study states that job availability is the main issue.

Despite this issue happening on the national level, many students hold jobs on and off campus, MSU career officials said.

The number of students working for MSU can range from 12,000 to 15,000 on any given day, on-campus internship coordinator Bill Morgan said.

“It is complex and part of it is some students have multiple jobs,” Morgan said. “Some students have jobs right now, and then they quit.”

MSU also has several career opportunities and resources to help find suitable jobs for students.

“Looking at MySpartanCareer, we keep adding new openings every day, but there is also a lot of competition,” Morgan said. “What we do, is we find the match making and career advising and planning.”

Morgan has seen job opportunities on MySpartanCareer that receive anywhere from 5 applications to 48. This week, he has seen 113 open job postings, in addition to more than 50 interim and part-time jobs on the site.

Finance freshman Josh Arnett did not have the luxury of coming in his freshman year jobless.

“I actually have to pay for college (myself),” Arnett said.

Arnett is a Union Central cashier and started his job in the summer before the semester started. He said he works four to five hours on weekdays, in addition to various weekend shifts.

“I have half off tuition, but every little bit helps,” Arnett said, who said he receives a discount because his mother is a university employee. “I have bills to pay, so I need money.”

Morgan said some parents don’t advise students to work during their freshman year, but students can gain skills from the experience.

“Students who do work 10 to 15 could actually be at a better sweet spot because they have better time management,” Morgan said.

Still, for some students working is not an option. Apparel and textile freshman Emily Pletcher found balancing work on top of her classwork and studio time became overwhelming.

“I had a job at the (cafeteria) for about two months, and then I switched my major,” she said.

Because of Pletcher’s commitments with her new major, she thought it would be better for her time management to quit her job.

Arnett said he is the only one of his friends at MSU to hold a job, but so far he’s found it to be manageable.

“I think you should work your freshman year, balance your work and social life,” Arnett said. “It can’t hurt to have a job on your résumé.”

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