Summer Youth Labor Force News Release

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, August 17, 2022 		                USDL-22-1681

Technical information:  (202) 691-6378  *  cpsinfo@bls.gov  *  www.bls.gov/cps
Media contact:          (202) 691-5902  *  PressOffice@bls.gov


                EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG YOUTH -- SUMMER 2022


In July 2022, 55.3 percent of young people (persons ages 16 to 24) were employed, the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This measure was up from 54.4 percent
in July 2021. The July 2022 figure remains below its level of 56.2 percent in July 2019,
prior to the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. (The month of July typically
is the summertime peak in youth employment.) The unemployment rate for youth was 8.5
percent in July 2022, down from the rate in July 2021 (10.0 percent) but little different
from July 2019 (9.1 percent). (Because this analysis focuses on the seasonal changes
in youth employment and unemployment that occur each spring and summer, the data are
not seasonally adjusted.)

Labor Force

The youth labor force--16- to 24-year-olds working or actively looking for work--grows
sharply between April and July each year. During these months, large numbers of high
school and college students search for or take summer jobs, and many graduates enter
the labor market to look for or begin permanent employment. This summer, the youth 
labor force grew by 2.6 million, or 12.9 percent, from April to a total of 22.9 million
in July. (See table 1.)

The labor force participation rate for all youth was 60.4 percent in July 2022, little
different from a year earlier. (The labor force participation rate is the proportion
of the civilian noninstitutional population that is employed or unemployed. To be 
classified as unemployed, a person must either be looking and available for work or 
on temporary layoff.) The July 2022 youth labor force participation rate was 1.4 
percentage points lower than its 2019 level prior to the pandemic. (See table 2.)

In 2022, the July labor force participation rate for 16- to 24-year-old men, at 61.7
percent, was little different from the prior year but down by 1.5 percentage points 
from 2019. The July rate for young women, at 59.2 percent, was also little different
from a year earlier but was 1.2 percentage points lower than in 2019.

The July 2022 labor force participation rate for young Asians (49.4 percent) increased
over the year, while the participation rates for Whites (62.6 percent), Blacks (55.1
percent), and Hispanics (55.5 percent) showed little or no change. The July 2022 
participation rates for young Whites, young Blacks, and young Hispanics were 1.5 percentage
points, 3.2 percentage points, and 2.3 percentage points lower, respectively, than in
July 2019. The July 2022 labor force participation rate for young Asians was 4.8 
percentage points higher than in July 2019. (See table 2.)

Employment

In July 2022, there were 21.0 million employed 16- to 24-year-olds. Between April and
July, the number of employed youth rose by 2.1 million, or 11.4 percent. The employment-
population ratio for youth--the proportion of the 16- to 24-year-old civilian 
noninstitutional population with a job--was 55.3 percent in July 2022, an increase of
0.9 percentage point from the prior year. However, the July 2022 ratio was lower than
the July 2019 ratio of 56.2 percent. (See tables 1 and 2.)

Employment-population ratios were higher in July 2022 than they were a year earlier 
for young men (56.3 percent), Whites (58.3 percent), and Asians (44.1 percent), while
the ratios for women (54.3 percent), Blacks (46.4 percent), and Hispanics (50.1 percent)
were little changed. The employment-population ratios in July 2022 for men, women, Whites,
Asians, and Hispanics were little different than in July 2019, while the ratio for Blacks
was 3.4 percentage points lower than in July 2019. 

In July 2022, 24 percent (5.1 million) of employed 16- to 24-year-olds worked in the 
leisure and hospitality industry, little different from the prior year. An additional 
19 percent of employed youth worked in the retail trade industry in July 2022, and 12 
percent worked in education and health services. (See table 3.)

Unemployment

Typically, the number of unemployed young people increases between April and July, as
people who were not in the labor force while attending school begin seeking employment.
Unemployment among youth rose by 479,000 from April to July 2022. About three-fourths
of the unemployed youth were looking for full-time work in July 2022, little different
from the prior year. (See tables 1 and 2.)

The youth unemployment rate, at 8.5 percent in July 2022, was down from 10.0 percent in
July 2021 but little different from the July 2019 rate of 9.1 percent. The July 2022 
unemployment rates for young men (8.8 percent), Whites (7.0 percent), and Hispanics (9.7
percent) were lower than in the prior summer, while the rates for women (8.2 percent),
Blacks (15.9 percent), and Asians (10.8 percent) were little changed from July 2021.

Technical Note


   The estimates in this release were obtained from the Current Population Survey (CPS),
a national sample survey of about 60,000 eligible households conducted monthly for the
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) by the U.S. Census Bureau. The data in this release
relate to the employment status of youth (16- to 24-year-olds) during the months of
April-July. This period was selected as being the most representative time frame in
which to measure the full summertime transition from school to work. July is the peak
summer month of youth employment.

   Beginning in January of each year, data reflect revised population controls used in
the CPS. Additional information about population controls is available on the BLS
website at www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#pop.

   If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1
to access telecommunications relay services.

Reliability of the estimates

   Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. When
a sample, rather than the entire population, is surveyed, there is a chance that the
sample estimates may differ from the true population values they represent. The component
of this difference that occurs because samples differ by chance is known as sampling
error, and its variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate. There is
about a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample
will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the true population value because
of sampling error. BLS analyses are generally conducted at the 90-percent level of
confidence.

   The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling error can occur for
many reasons, including the failure to sample a segment of the population, inability to
obtain information for all respondents in the sample, inability or unwillingness of
respondents to provide correct information, and errors made in the collection or
processing of the data.

   More information on the reliability of data from the CPS and estimating standard errors
is available online at www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#reliability.

Definitions

   The principal definitions used in this release are described briefly below.

   Employed. Employed persons are all those who, during the survey reference week (which
is generally the week including the 12th day of the month), (a) did any work at all as
paid employees; (b) worked in their own business, profession, or on their own farm;
(c) worked 15 hours or more as unpaid workers in a family member's business. Persons who
were temporarily absent from their jobs because of illness, bad weather, vacation, labor
dispute, or another reason also are counted as employed.

   Unemployed. The unemployed are those who had no employment during the reference week,
were available for work at that time, and had made specific efforts to find employment
sometime during the 4-week period ending with the reference week. Persons who were waiting
to be recalled to a job from which they had been laid off need not have been looking for
work to be classified as unemployed. Looking for full-time work refers to 35 hours or more
per week; part-time work refers to fewer than 35 hours per week.

   Civilian labor force. This group comprises all persons classified as employed or
unemployed.

   Unemployment rate. The unemployment rate is the number of unemployed persons as a
percent of the civilian labor force.

   Labor force participation rate. The labor force participation rate is the labor force
as a percent of the population.

   Employment-population ratio. The employment-population ratio is the employed as a
percent of the population.

   Not in the labor force. Included in this group are all persons in the civilian
noninstitutional population who are neither employed nor unemployed.

   Industry and class of worker. This information applies to the job held during the
reference week. Persons with two or more jobs are classified in the job at which they
worked the greatest number of hours. Beginning with data for 2020, persons are classified
using the 2017 Census industry classification system. The class-of-worker breakdown 
assigns workers to the following categories: Private and government wage and salary 
workers, unincorporated self-employed workers, and unpaid family workers.

   Wage and salary workers. Included in this group are persons who receive wages, salary,
commissions, tips, or pay in kind from a private employer or from a government entity.

   Self-employed workers. Included in this group are those who work for profit or fees
in their own unincorporated business, profession, trade, or farm. Only unincorporated
self-employed are included in the self-employed category. Self-employed persons whose
businesses are incorporated are included with private wage and salary workers.

   Unpaid family workers. Included in this group are persons working without pay for
15 hours a week or more on a farm or in a business operated by a family member in their
household.