EXCLUSIVE: If you've caught yourself thinking the staff at your local Coles or Woolworths look particularly young these days, it's not just your imagination.

Australians are joining the workforce younger than ever, largely in response to the ongoing cost of living crisis.

New research from Employment Hero revealed that jobs among Aussies aged 14 to 17 surged by 30 per cent in the past year.

Jobs among 18 to 24-year-olds also jumped by more than 16 per cent, signalling a prominent generational shift as young Aussies try to get ahead financially.

Casper Huisken, 17, is juggling a job at his local supermarket with his Year 12 studied in the hopes of building a financial safety net before he even finishes high school.

"I wanted to earn money earlier because it gets expensive [when you

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