With summer vacation starting, there is a renewed surge in teen part-time jobs—but alongside it, concerns about labor rights protections are also resurfacing. Child Welfare League Foundation (CWLF) released the 2025 Teen Part-Time Working Conditions Survey Report [1], revealing troubling realities: 34.4% of high school students have had part-time work experience, with the highest proportions among vocational high school students and 17-year-olds. Over one-fifth (20.2%) earn less than NT$10,000 per month, and 6.3% have even engaged in unpaid labor.

Furthermore, nearly half of teen workers have not signed a labor contract, and more than 20% are not covered by labor or health insurance, highlighting a serious lack of protection for underage workers. Even more concerning, 16.9% reported rights violations such as unpaid overtime and workplace bullying, and 5.8% encountered part-time job scams. Alarmingly, one in four teens said they would be lured by high salaries into trying suspicious jobs. For instance, recent media reports of university students deceived by online job ads and trapped in scam compounds in Cambodia underscore the problems with both fraud prevention education and labor rights protection.

In response, CWLF urges the government to strengthen labor inspections, encourages schools to promote labor rights education, and calls on parents to closely monitor their children’s part-time work safety. Together, we must create a safer and more youth-friendly working environment for teens.

[1] Between April 10 and May 4, 2025, CWLF conducted an online survey targeting youth aged 15 to 17 across Taiwan. A total of 1,949 respondents completed the questionnaire, with 55.9% aged 17, 35.6% aged 16, and 8.6% aged 15. In terms of gender, 59.1% identified as female, 39.5% as male, and 1.5% as other. As for education, the majority were vocational high school students (53.6%), followed by senior high school students (37.8%).

The survey found that 34.4% of senior high school and vocational high school students have part-time work experience. Among them, 20.8% are currently working, and another 13.6% have worked within the past year. A closer look reveals that 43.3% of vocational high school students have had part-time jobs, which is higher than the rate among senior high school students (26.9%). Additionally, 40.1% of 17-year-olds reported part-time work experience, indicating a notably high participation rate.

Most teens work in the food and beverage industry (53.5%), with shifts typically scheduled on weekends or weekday evenings, resulting in a packed routine of school by day and work by night. The primary motivations for working include earning pocket money (78.7%), increasing savings (56.2%), gaining social experience (36.5%), and easing family financial burdens (31.7%). However, 23% reported that part-time work affected their sleep, and 12.7% said it interfered with their academic performance.

Notably, 20.2% of working teens earned less than NT$10,000 per month, and 6.3% were involved in unpaid labor—often helping out with family stalls or stores. While such work may appear as simple family support, many teens were compelled to take on these responsibilities due to financial hardship at home. This highlights the vulnerable labor conditions faced by youth from disadvantaged backgrounds, marked by low pay, long hours, and lack of protection.

In the survey, 16.9% of teens reported experiencing labor rights violations during their part-time jobs. The most common issue was unpaid overtime, cited by 35.5% of affected teens, followed by lack of basic training (17.8%) and mismatched job expectations, where the actual tasks differed from the job description (17.8%). Additionally, 5.6% said they had experienced bullying or sexual harassment in the workplace, highlighting the risk of mistreatment and even safety concerns for some underage workers.

Alarmingly, 17% of teens had started working before the legal minimum working age of 15, in violation of the Labor Standards Act, which prohibits the employment of children under 15. Even among those who started working at a legal age, labor protection was often insufficient: 45.5% had not signed a labor contract with their employer; 34.9% did not have a parental consent form signed; 23.8% said their employer had not enrolled them in labor or health insurance; and 24.3% were unaware whether they were insured at all. These findings indicate that nearly half of underage part-time workers lack the legal protection they need, and thus are vulnerable to exploitation.

Teens entering the workforce for the first time often lack experience and legal knowledge, making them easy targets for scam syndicates and unscrupulous employers. The survey found that 5.8% of teens had fallen into part-time job scams, with the most common red flag being unrealistically high salary offers (52.2%). Other warning signs included requests for personal information such as ID numbers, bank accounts, or bankbooks before interviews (26.5%), and fake job listings for non-existent companies or positions (21.2%). Alarmingly, 12.4% of teens reported experiencing sexual harassment while applying for roles like livestream hosts or promotional models.

Even more concerning is how teens respond to these suspicious opportunities. While about 20% said they would refuse these opportunities and seek help from teachers, parents, or relevant agencies, 25% admitted they would still try the job out of curiosity. These jobs often involve legal risks or personal safety concerns, underscoring how financial pressure can drive teens to fall for high-paying job traps.

Although 51.5% of teens said they had learned about how to avoid job scams through related courses at school, 16.6% said they had never received or even heard of such education. This highlights a continued need for more proactive fraud prevention education for working youth.

The survey reveals a clear gap in teens’ understanding of their labor rights. Out of five labor-related legal questions included in the questionnaire [2], respondents scored an average of only 3.14 correct answers. One of the most telling results was the low correct response rate—just 44.1%—for identifying the minimum legal working age, highlighting a significant lack of awareness regarding illegal employment.

While 81.1% of teens knew that employers are required to enroll them in labor and health insurance, only 51.9% said their employer actually did so, showing a gap between legal knowledge and workplace reality. Further analysis showed that teens who currently have part-time job experience, identify as female, or have received anti-scam education through school tended to score higher on labor law questions.

However, a key concern is that teens earning lower wages had significantly poorer knowledge of labor laws. This group not only faces financial disadvantages but also lacks the information needed to identify or assert their rights. Therefore, they are stuck in a “double exploitation trap” where low income and limited legal awareness compound their vulnerability.

When asked which labor rights are most commonly overlooked, respondents pointed to long or excessive working hours (57.8%), inadequate pay (51.9%), and a lack of labor or health insurance coverage (50.0%). As for what they expect from the government and schools, 72.7% called for enforcement of minimum wage standards, 66.3% wanted access to safe and legal part-time job information, and 56.2% urged for stronger labor inspections and enforcement.

[2] The survey included five questions to assess teens’ knowledge of labor laws related to part-time work: (1) Do you know what the legal minimum hourly wage is in Taiwan? (2) According to the Labor Standards Act, employers are prohibited from hiring youth under what age? (3) For teens under the age of 16, what is the maximum number of working hours allowed per day? (4) Are you aware that employers are required to enroll part-time working teens in labor and health insurance? (5) Do you know which phone number you can call to report an employer violating the Labor Standards Act?

For teens, part-time work is not only a first step toward engaging with society and gaining experience; it also directly impacts personal safety and labor rights. The survey reveals that teens often face inadequate labor protection, gaps in legal knowledge, and a heightened risk of exploitation, exposing critical weaknesses in both the system and education. In response, CWLF offers three concrete suggestions:

1. No Insurance, No Protection: Fix the System Gaps in Teen Labor

The survey shows that teens commonly face three major issues in part-time work: long hours, low pay, and lack of insurance coverage. Some unpaid teen workers—such as those participating in work-for-accommodation arrangements—receive no labor or health insurance at all, suggesting these flexible job formats are being used by employers to evade responsibility. CWLF urges the government to enforce minimum wage laws, provide safe and legal job information, and strengthen labor inspections and law enforcement to close these loopholes. Only then can we prevent the exploitation of underage workers and foster a safer, more teen-friendly labor environment.

2. 17-Year-Olds Work the Most: Schools Must Strengthen Anti-Fraud and Labor Rights Education

The survey found that nearly one in four 17-year-olds is currently working part-time, yet 6% have never learned how to avoid job scams. Teens who received labor law education through school performed significantly better on relevant questions, showing the pivotal role of school-based instruction. CWLF urges schools to target labor rights and fraud prevention education at age groups with the highest work participation. Teens should be equipped to understand their rights, recognize workplace red flags, and know when and how to seek help, ultimately reducing their risk of exploitation.

3. Thirty Percent of Teens Work to Support Their Families: Parents Must Be More Involved

Nearly 30% of teens take on part-time jobs to ease their family’s financial burden, yet these youth from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are also the most vulnerable to exploitative conditions such as long hours, low pay, and no protection. They are also likely to be scammed or asked to do illegal or dangerous work. CWLF urges parents and other adults around teens to take an active role in understanding their work conditions, helping prevent involvement in risky or harmful jobs, and protecting their physical and mental well-being.