Over the next eight weeks, high schools across the country will be letting out for summer, and that means there will be plenty of teenagers with time on their hands. If that time is not filled with a summer job, it could have long-term implications for their professional lives.

“For kids who aren’t going to college, getting that summer job provides them with some experience in terms of acquiring soft skills, in terms of establishing good work habits,” said Alicia Modestino, an associate professor of public policy and urban affairs and economics at Northeastern University. “We’ve actually seen some surveys that have shown that teens who don’t have those soft skills, or haven’t been used to having good work habits, typically have a more difficult time holding on to a job later on.”

CNBC