Survey: “Blue Christmas” – 58 Percent of Teens Say Rising Prices Have Impacted Holiday Gifts in Recent Years

Junior Achievement Research Also Shows One-in-Five Earn Holiday Money Through “Gig” Jobs

Colorado Springs, CO – A new survey of teens conducted for Junior Achievement by the research firm Big Village shows that a majority of teens, 58%, say rising prices have impacted the number and types of gifts they have received for the holidays in recent years. Nearly three-in-four, 71%, are concerned about the impact of inflation on this year’s holiday shopping season. The results are part of the JA Teens & Holiday Spending survey, which assesses teen consumer attitudes associated with the holiday shopping season. The survey of 1,003 13- to 17-year-olds was conducted by Big Village from October 10 through 15, 2023.

Additional findings include:
• While 71% of teens say they get holiday spending money from their parents or caregivers, 19% say they get it from a gig job or side hustle, gig jobs often have age restrictions against minors doing them.
• 76% of teens plan to shop “in-store” this year, compared to 81% in 2021, with 67% also shopping online, compared to 70% in 2021.
• Top teen gift ideas include:

Clothing, 58% down from 62% last year
Gift Cards, 51% down from 52% last year
Video Games, 44% down from 47% last year
Accessories, 41%, down from 43% last year
Small Electronics, 33%, down from 35% last year

“These survey results would indicate that teens are experiencing the economic realities of higher prices,” said Jack E. Kosakowski, President & CEO of Junior Achievement USA. “At Junior Achievement, we encourage parents and caregivers to take this opportunity to discuss things like putting together a budget for the holidays, comparison shopping, and creative gifting if higher prices or hard-to-find items become a challenge. Also, while we at Junior Achievement believe work experience is valuable, if teens are doing gig jobs, parents and caregivers should be aware of age restrictions associated with those applications and, if warranted, encourage their teens to do more age-appropriate work.”

For money management skills, Junior Achievement offers JA Connect, a free, online resource where teens can learn about careers, entrepreneurship, and how to manage money. The “My Money” section takes teens through developing a budget and planning their financial future. JA Connect is available at connect.JA.org.

Methodology
This Youth CARAVAN survey was conducted by Big Village among a sample of 1,003 13-17-year-olds. This survey was live on October 10-15, 2023.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have volunteered to participate in online surveys and polls. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to multiple sources of error, including, but not limited to sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. It is nationally representative with set quotas based on census data. The 1,003 completes are all who qualified and completed based on the demographic quota requirements. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1%.

About Junior Achievement USA® -JA-
Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA learning experiences are delivered by corporate and community volunteers and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Additionally, Junior Achievement is expanding its reach to 18-to-25-year-olds to provide young adults with critical life skills, as well as to pre-K youth to ensure children get a solid head start. Today, JA reaches more than 4.4 million students per year in 102 markets across the United States as part of 12.5 million students served by operations in more than 100 other countries worldwide. Junior Achievement USA is a member of JA Worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org.

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