Ashton Meyer, 11, has turned a search for extra pocket money into a small summer business by cleaning neighbors’ bins for $10. His effort has gained attention online, offering a simple but timely example of young people creating their own work instead of waiting for traditional summer jobs.
The story stands out because it comes as teens face an unusually difficult summer job market. According to the report, the seasonal hiring environment is the worst it has been in nearly 80 years, leaving many young people competing for limited openings, even in the kinds of entry-level roles that usually hire students.
Against that backdrop, Meyer’s bin-cleaning idea highlights a do-it-yourself approach to earning money. Rather than trying to land a shift at a local shop, he is offering a basic service in his neighborhood and building interest through word of mouth and viral attention.
His experience also reflects a broader reality of the current summer jobs market: when formal openings are scarce, younger workers may look to small local services, side hustles, and self-started businesses to make money. In that sense, Meyer’s bin-cleaning business is both a personal project and a sign of how tight the market has become for teens.
