Employment and Other Income Sources of Runaway and Homeless Youth

Abstract

In this chapter, the employment activities and other income sources of street young people are assessed. This chapter evaluates the type and prevalence of street youth employment and income sources and various conditions such as community views toward runaway and homeless youth that may affect the extent to which these children and adolescents are able to engage in employment while on the streets. This chapter analyzes the extent to which street youth engage in panhandling on the streets for spare change or squeegee cleaning motor vehicle windows and requesting money from drivers who are stopped at traffic lights. In addition, other casual and temporary jobs such as participating in construction, working on painting jobs, and selling handicrafts and tickets for sports and concert events are examined. This chapter also discusses the other income sources of runaway and homeless young people such as reliance on government assistance and friends and family members. In this chapter, obstacles to conventional employment such as employer financial exploitation, restrictive laws, adverse community views toward street youth, police harassment, human trafficking victimization, and street-related trauma and abuse are analyzed.