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Economic News Release
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Summer Youth Labor Force News Release

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, August 18, 2021				USDL-21-1515

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 2021


In July 2021, 54.4 percent of young people (persons ages 16 to 24) were employed, the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This was up from 46.7 percent in July 2020--
when youth employment was unusually low due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic--but
down from 56.2 percent in July 2019, before the pandemic. (The month of July typically is
the summertime peak in youth employment.) The unemployment rate for youth was 10.0 percent
in July 2021, down considerably from the rate in July 2020 (18.5 percent) but up 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 2.4 million, or 11.7 percent, to a total of 22.5 million in July. (See table 1.) 

The labor force participation rate for all youth was 60.5 percent in July 2021, an increase
of 3.2 percentage points 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.) (See table 2.) The large over-the-year increase in the youth labor force
participation rate partly reflects widespread business closures and other restrictions in
the early stages of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which held down youth employment
in July 2020. Despite the large increase in 2021, the July youth labor force participation
rate was 1.3 percentage points lower than its 2019 level. 

In 2021, the July labor force participation rate for 16- to 24-year-old men, at 61.8 
percent, was up by 3.4 percentage points over the year but down by 1.4 percentage points
from 2019. The July rate for young women increased by 2.9 percentage points in 2021 to 59.1
percent but was 1.3 percentage points lower than in 2019. Youth labor force participation
rates for Whites (62.8 percent), Blacks (55.1 percent), and Hispanics (56.8 percent) were
higher in July 2021 than they were a year earlier when participation rates for these groups
declined abruptly due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, the July 2021 
participation rate for Asians (44.6 percent) changed little over the year. The July 2021
participation rate for young Whites and for young Blacks were 1.3 percentage points and 3.2
percentage points lower, respectively, than in July 2019. The participation rate for young
Asians, at 44.6 percent in July 2021, was the same as in July 2019, and the rate for 
Hispanics, at 56.8 percent in July 2021, was little different than the rate in July 2019.
(See table 2.)

Employment

In July 2021, there were 20.3 million employed 16- to 24-year-olds. Between April and July,
the number of employed youth rose by 2.1 million, or 11.8 percent. The employment-population
ratio for youth--the proportion of the 16- to 24-year-old civilian noninstitutional 
population with a job--was 54.4 percent in July 2021, an increase of 7.7 percentage points 
from the prior year. However, the July 2021 ratio was lower than the July 2019 ratio of 
56.2 percent. (See tables 1 and 2.) 

Employment-population ratios were higher in July 2021 than they were a year earlier for 
young men (55.1 percent), women (53.7 percent), Whites (57.2 percent), Blacks (47.6 
percent), Asians (39.1 percent), and Hispanics (50.2 percent). However, for each of these
groups the ratios in July 2021 were lower than July 2019. 

In July 2021, 25 percent (5.2 million) of employed 16- to 24-year-olds worked in the 
leisure and hospitality industry, the largest share of youth workers. The leisure and 
hospitality industry, which includes food services, was particularly affected by pandemic-
related job losses. As pandemic-related restrictions began to ease in 2021, youth 
employment in the leisure and hospitality industry started to rebound; it was up by 981,000
from July 2020 to July 2021. (By comparison, employment in the industry was down by 1.1
million from July 2019 to July 2020.) An additional 20 percent of employed youth worked in 
the retail trade industry in July 2021, 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 221,000 from April to July 2021. Three-fourths of the 
unemployed youth were looking for full-time work in July 2021, compared with about two-
thirds in July 2018, 2019, and 2020. (See tables 1 and 2.) 

The youth unemployment rate, at 10.0 percent in July 2021, was down from 18.5 percent in
July 2020 but was higher than the July 2019 rate of 9.1 percent. The July 2021 unemployment
rates for young men (10.9 percent), women (9.1 percent), Whites (8.9 percent), Blacks (13.6
percent), Asians (12.3 percent), and Hispanics (11.7 percent) were all substantially lower
than in the prior summer. 




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.

   Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals
upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

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.




Table 1. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 to 24 years of age by sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, April-July 2021 [Numbers in thousands. Data are not seasonally adjusted.]
Employment status, sex, race, and
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
April May June July April-July changes
Number Percent

TOTAL

Civilian noninstitutional population

37,290 37,274 37,262 37,250 -40 -0.1

Civilian labor force

20,159 20,471 22,120 22,522 2,363 11.7

Participation rate

54.1 54.9 59.4 60.5 6.4 11.8

Employed

18,126 18,410 19,701 20,268 2,142 11.8

Employment-population ratio

48.6 49.4 52.9 54.4 5.8 11.9

Unemployed

2,033 2,062 2,419 2,254 221 10.9

Looking for full-time work

1,499 1,553 1,780 1,697 198 13.2

Looking for part-time work

534 509 638 557 23 4.3

Unemployment rate

10.1 10.1 10.9 10.0 -0.1 -1.0

Not in labor force

17,131 16,803 15,142 14,728 -2,403 -14.0

Men

Civilian noninstitutional population

18,713 18,705 18,698 18,692 -21 -0.1

Civilian labor force

10,376 10,484 11,270 11,547 1,171 11.3

Participation rate

55.5 56.1 60.3 61.8 6.3 11.4

Employed

9,231 9,353 9,972 10,294 1,063 11.5

Employment-population ratio

49.3 50.0 53.3 55.1 5.8 11.8

Unemployed

1,146 1,132 1,298 1,253 107 9.3

Looking for full-time work

882 926 964 976 94 10.7

Looking for part-time work

264 206 334 277 13 4.9

Unemployment rate

11.0 10.8 11.5 10.9 -0.1 -0.9

Not in labor force

8,337 8,220 7,428 7,145 -1,192 -14.3

Women

Civilian noninstitutional population

18,577 18,570 18,564 18,559 -18 -0.1

Civilian labor force

9,783 9,987 10,850 10,976 1,193 12.2

Participation rate

52.7 53.8 58.4 59.1 6.4 12.1

Employed

8,895 9,057 9,729 9,975 1,080 12.1

Employment-population ratio

47.9 48.8 52.4 53.7 5.8 12.1

Unemployed

887 930 1,121 1,001 114 12.9

Looking for full-time work

617 627 816 721 104 16.9

Looking for part-time work

270 303 305 280 10 3.7

Unemployment rate

9.1 9.3 10.3 9.1 0.0 0.0

Not in labor force

8,794 8,583 7,714 7,583 -1,211 -13.8

White

Civilian noninstitutional population

27,366 27,354 27,343 27,333 -33 -0.1

Civilian labor force

15,461 15,706 16,857 17,168 1,707 11.0

Participation rate

56.5 57.4 61.7 62.8 6.3 11.2

Employed

14,082 14,371 15,188 15,635 1,553 11.0

Employment-population ratio

51.5 52.5 55.5 57.2 5.7 11.1

Unemployed

1,379 1,335 1,669 1,533 154 11.2

Looking for full-time work

1,025 1,009 1,246 1,170 145 14.1

Looking for part-time work

353 327 423 363 10 2.8

Unemployment rate

8.9 8.5 9.9 8.9 0.0 0.0

Not in labor force

11,905 11,648 10,486 10,165 -1,740 -14.6

Black or African American

Civilian noninstitutional population

5,458 5,456 5,454 5,452 -6 -0.1

Civilian labor force

2,664 2,634 2,994 3,004 340 12.8

Participation rate

48.8 48.3 54.9 55.1 6.3 12.9

Employed

2,238 2,195 2,586 2,594 356 15.9

Employment-population ratio

41.0 40.2 47.4 47.6 6.6 16.1

Unemployed

426 439 408 410 -16 -3.8

Looking for full-time work

334 329 343 325 -9 -2.7

Looking for part-time work

92 110 66 85 -7 -7.6

Unemployment rate

16.0 16.7 13.6 13.6 -2.4 -15.0

Not in labor force

2,794 2,821 2,460 2,448 -346 -12.4

Asian

Civilian noninstitutional population

2,139 2,185 2,143 2,186 47 2.2

Civilian labor force

815 873 903 976 161 19.8

Participation rate

38.1 39.9 42.1 44.6 6.5 17.1

Employed

742 783 779 856 114 15.4

Employment-population ratio

34.7 35.9 36.3 39.1 4.4 12.7

Unemployed

74 89 124 120 46 62.2

Looking for full-time work

34 61 60 70 36 105.9

Looking for part-time work

40 28 64 50 10 25.0

Unemployment rate

9.0 10.2 13.8 12.3 3.3 36.7

Not in labor force

1,323 1,312 1,240 1,210 -113 -8.5

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population

8,855 8,863 8,872 8,880 25 0.3

Civilian labor force

4,703 4,634 4,932 5,044 341 7.3

Participation rate

53.1 52.3 55.6 56.8 3.7 7.0

Employed

4,124 4,114 4,346 4,456 332 8.1

Employment-population ratio

46.6 46.4 49.0 50.2 3.6 7.7

Unemployed

579 520 585 588 9 1.6

Looking for full-time work

430 402 427 472 42 9.8

Looking for part-time work

149 118 158 116 -33 -22.1

Unemployment rate

12.3 11.2 11.9 11.7 -0.6 -4.9

Not in labor force

4,152 4,229 3,940 3,836 -316 -7.6

NOTE: Estimates for the above race groups (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.


Table 2. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 to 24 years of age by sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, July 2018-2021 [Numbers in thousands. Data are not seasonally adjusted.]
Employment status, sex, race, and
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
July
2018
July
2019
July
2020
July
2021

TOTAL

Civilian noninstitutional population

37,997 37,729 37,472 37,250

Civilian labor force

23,016 23,311 21,479 22,522

Participation rate

60.6 61.8 57.3 60.5

Employed

20,897 21,196 17,507 20,268

Employment-population ratio

55.0 56.2 46.7 54.4

Unemployed

2,119 2,115 3,973 2,254

Looking for full-time work

1,458 1,447 2,651 1,697

Looking for part-time work

660 668 1,321 557

Unemployment rate

9.2 9.1 18.5 10.0

Not in labor force

14,981 14,417 15,993 14,728

Men

Civilian noninstitutional population

19,128 18,964 18,813 18,692

Civilian labor force

11,695 11,977 10,990 11,547

Participation rate

61.1 63.2 58.4 61.8

Employed

10,550 10,857 8,966 10,294

Employment-population ratio

55.2 57.3 47.7 55.1

Unemployed

1,145 1,120 2,024 1,253

Looking for full-time work

828 803 1,388 976

Looking for part-time work

317 317 636 277

Unemployment rate

9.8 9.4 18.4 10.9

Not in labor force

7,433 6,987 7,823 7,145

Women

Civilian noninstitutional population

18,869 18,765 18,659 18,559

Civilian labor force

11,321 11,334 10,489 10,976

Participation rate

60.0 60.4 56.2 59.1

Employed

10,347 10,339 8,541 9,975

Employment-population ratio

54.8 55.1 45.8 53.7

Unemployed

974 995 1,949 1,001

Looking for full-time work

630 645 1,263 721

Looking for part-time work

344 350 686 280

Unemployment rate

8.6 8.8 18.6 9.1

Not in labor force

7,548 7,430 8,170 7,583

White

Civilian noninstitutional population

27,866 27,658 27,474 27,333

Civilian labor force

17,509 17,716 16,322 17,168

Participation rate

62.8 64.1 59.4 62.8

Employed

16,174 16,295 13,595 15,635

Employment-population ratio

58.0 58.9 49.5 57.2

Unemployed

1,335 1,421 2,727 1,533

Looking for full-time work

863 938 1,819 1,170

Looking for part-time work

471 483 908 363

Unemployment rate

7.6 8.0 16.7 8.9

Not in labor force

10,357 9,942 11,152 10,165

Black or African American

Civilian noninstitutional population

5,668 5,561 5,494 5,452

Civilian labor force

3,203 3,243 2,884 3,004

Participation rate

56.5 58.3 52.5 55.1

Employed

2,675 2,771 2,151 2,594

Employment-population ratio

47.2 49.8 39.2 47.6

Unemployed

528 472 733 410

Looking for full-time work

438 374 537 325

Looking for part-time work

90 98 196 85

Unemployment rate

16.5 14.6 25.4 13.6

Not in labor force

2,465 2,318 2,610 2,448

Asian

Civilian noninstitutional population

2,302 2,387 2,234 2,186

Civilian labor force

997 1,065 958 976

Participation rate

43.3 44.6 42.9 44.6

Employed

913 978 715 856

Employment-population ratio

39.7 41.0 32.0 39.1

Unemployed

84 87 243 120

Looking for full-time work

59 37 138 70

Looking for part-time work

25 50 106 50

Unemployment rate

8.4 8.2 25.4 12.3

Not in labor force

1,305 1,322 1,277 1,210

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population

8,687 8,750 8,810 8,880

Civilian labor force

5,035 5,059 4,789 5,044

Participation rate

58.0 57.8 54.4 56.8

Employed

4,492 4,485 3,752 4,456

Employment-population ratio

51.7 51.3 42.6 50.2

Unemployed

543 574 1,037 588

Looking for full-time work

362 384 726 472

Looking for part-time work

181 190 311 116

Unemployment rate

10.8 11.3 21.7 11.7

Not in labor force

3,652 3,691 4,021 3,836

NOTE: Estimates for the above race groups (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.


Table 3. Employed persons 16 to 24 years of age by industry, class of worker, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, July 2020-2021 [Numbers in thousands. Data are not seasonally adjusted.]
Industry and class of worker Total White Black or African American Asian Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
July
2020
July
2021
July
2020
July
2021
July
2020
July
2021
July
2020
July
2021
July
2020
July
2021

Total employed

17,507 20,268 13,595 15,635 2,151 2,594 715 856 3,752 4,456

Agriculture and related industries

298 251 278 238 1 4 1 0 58 52

Nonagricultural industries

17,209 20,017 13,317 15,397 2,151 2,590 713 856 3,694 4,404

Private wage and salary workers(1)

15,693 18,396 12,172 14,108 1,970 2,399 662 795 3,383 4,088

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

46 29 24 29 8 0 14 0 14 10

Construction

933 1,002 813 882 56 62 12 6 264 340

Manufacturing

1,189 1,212 972 976 135 135 53 25 244 258

Durable goods

727 758 604 600 72 75 39 18 136 159

Nondurable goods

462 455 368 376 64 60 14 7 107 99

Wholesale trade

230 231 179 171 36 27 5 20 16 53

Retail trade

3,558 4,061 2,711 3,036 439 641 167 132 846 922

Transportation and utilities

673 831 482 538 95 196 45 31 209 258

Information

117 239 96 193 13 11 0 26 28 18

Financial activities

642 660 470 487 100 97 43 52 121 105

Professional and business services

1,352 1,745 1,092 1,286 116 220 80 140 248 328

Education and health services

1,905 2,379 1,460 1,809 282 334 73 146 326 437

Leisure and hospitality

4,180 5,161 3,186 3,990 621 601 92 190 906 1,193

Other services

871 847 687 711 67 76 77 29 161 166

Government wage and salary workers

1,145 1,130 853 902 129 124 49 47 226 187

Federal

215 233 113 196 52 3 8 15 19 32

State

406 360 309 280 51 49 17 17 94 56

Local

524 538 431 427 26 72 24 15 114 98

Self-employed, unincorporated, and unpaid family workers

371 491 292 388 51 68 3 13 85 129

Footnotes
(1) Includes self-employed workers whose businesses are incorporated.

NOTE: Estimates for the above race groups (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.


Last Modified Date: August 18, 2021