Employment among the Capital Region’s high school-aged workers climbed to a 15-year high in 2023.

That rise was driven by job gains in construction and restaurant industries, according to the Center for Economic Growth.

The Capital Region averaged 12,000 employed workers between 14 and 18 years old last year. That was this demographic’s highest employment since 2008.

The biggest driver of high school-aged worker employment was the restaurant and food industry, which has boomed in the last five years.

Other sectors that saw sizeable employment gains in high school-aged workers over the last five years included construction, agriculture, manufacturing, transportation and warehousing.