Final answer:
The characteristic that contributed to the rise in adolescent employment in the retail and restaurant industries is flexible working hours, as teenagers display a high wage elasticity of labor supply and can adjust their work hours around school schedules.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rise in adolescent employment in the retail and restaurant industries can be attributed to flexible working hours. Teenagers are often attracted to these jobs because of the ability to work around their school schedules. This is in contrast to adult workers, where the wage elasticity of labor supply is less elastic, meaning that their amount of hours worked is less sensitive to changes in wages. On the other hand, teenagers respond more readily to wage changes, indicating that they are more flexible in the number of hours they are willing to work. This characteristic makes them ideal candidates for industries that demand flexibility such as retail and restaurants.
Options such as high wages, limited job opportunities, and strict age restrictions are not significant factors in the rise of adolescent employment in these sectors.