Career Outlook article page

Data on display
Working vacation: Summer jobs for youth in projected growth industries

Elka Torpey | June 2019

For many young people, summer vacation means summer jobs. And sometimes, these short-term experiences provide a preview of the working world.

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show monthly industry employment by age of worker, as well as which industries are projected to add jobs for all workers over a decade. In July 2018, the selected industries shown in the chart employed many workers ages 16 to 24.

The healthcare and social assistance industry is projected to add the most jobs among the industries shown in the chart, with nearly 4 million new opportunities expected to arise for all workers over the 2016–26 decade. That’s nearly double the number of new jobs projected for professional and business services, the second-place leader in job growth for industries shown in the chart. Among the occupations expected to add many jobs in these two industries are customer service representatives, home health aides, and landscapers.

Hover over a bar to see the percentage of workers ages 16 to 24 who were employed in that industry. As the data show, about 22 percent of young workers were employed in accommodation and food services in July 2018, the most of any industry. Young people in this industry work in a variety of occupations, including waiters and waitresses, cooks, and food preparation workers.

More data on these industries are available from the BLS Industries at a Glance pages. The Occupational Outlook Handbook describes careers in healthcare, business, and hundreds of other occupations. And the Current Population Survey has additional information on labor force demographics, part-time work, and other related topics.