The age of fast food workers has been increasing as the U.S. economy remains in recovery mode from the Financial Crisis according to NBC.
Once a job for teenagers out of high school or college students in need of some desperate cash, the fast food industry has seen a steady increase in workers over the age of 25.
"Only 16 percent of fast food industry jobs now go to teens, down from 25 percent a decade ago," NBC reported.
Many of the workers are also educated as 42 percent of fast food employees have some college education, including the 753,000 people with bachelor degrees, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
"Young people have been hit very hard by this downturn," Harry Holzer, a professor of public policy at Georgetown University, told NBC.
According to Holzer, the crucial 5-10 years after one graduates from college, when you figure out what you're good at, has been ruined.
"That whole process is disrupted by this downturn," he said.
Teens face a particularly tough environment, with a general unemployment rate of 7.6 in March. It gets even worse when looking at the unemployment rate specifically for teenagers 16-19. They're currently at a 24.2 unemployment rate according the BLS.
Even if a teenager does manage to secure a fast food job, it doesn't mean financial security. The median annual salary for fast food employees was $17, 813 a year. On average, they work 24 hours per week.
Prior to the Financial Crisis, according to NBC, "35 percent of industry employers said their No. 1 worry was recruiting and retaining employees...This year, only 5 percent said it was a prime problem."
