Summer Youth Labor Force News Release

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Thursday, August 20, 2026                                  USDL-26-1411

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 2026


In July 2026, 53.8 percent of young people (those ages 16 to 24) were employed, the U.S. Bureau of 
Labor Statistics reported today. This measure was little changed from 53.1 percent in July 2025. 
(The month of July typically is the summertime peak in youth employment.) The youth unemployment 
rate was 9.1 percent in July 2026, lower than the rate in July 2025 (10.8 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. In 2026, the youth labor force grew by 2.1 million, or 9.8 percent, 
from April (21.4 million) to July (23.5 million). (See table 1.)

The labor force participation rate for all youth was 59.1 percent in July 2026, little different 
from a year earlier (59.5 percent). (The labor force participation rate is the proportion of the 
civilian noninstitutional population that is working or actively looking for work.) (See table 2.)

The July 2026 labor force participation rates for 16- to 24-year-old men (61.1 percent) and women 
(57.2 percent) were little changed over the year. Continuing a long-standing pattern among the 
major groups, White youth (61.5 percent) had the highest labor force participation rate, and Asian
youth had the lowest (47.4 percent) in July 2026. The participation rates for White (61.5 percent),
Black (53.3 percent), Asian (47.4 percent), and Hispanic (56.2 percent) youth were little changed
over the year.

Employment

There were 21.3 million employed 16- to 24-year-olds in July 2026. Between April and July, the 
number of employed youth rose by 1.8 million, or 9.1 percent. The employment-population ratio for 
youth--the proportion of the 16- to 24-year-old civilian noninstitutional population with a job--
was 53.8 percent in July 2026, little different than the ratio of 53.1 percent from a year 
earlier. (See tables 1 and 2.)

In July 2026, the employment-population ratio for young men (55.7 percent) remained higher than the
ratio for young women (51.8 percent). White youth were more likely to be employed (56.4 percent) 
than were Black (46.9 percent), Asian (42.2 percent), or Hispanic (51.2 percent) youth. The 
employment-population ratios for all these groups were little changed from a year earlier.

In July 2026, the largest share of employed 16- to 24-year-olds worked in the leisure and 
hospitality industry (25 percent, or 5.3 million). An additional 18 percent of employed youth 
worked in the retail trade industry, and 14 percent worked in education and health services. (See 
table 3.)

Youth employment across industries varied slightly by race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. In 
July 2026, leisure and hospitality represented the largest industry for young workers who are White
(25 percent), Black (23 percent), or Hispanic (25 percent); while retail trade represented the 
second-largest share for all these groups. By contrast, the shares of Asian youth employment were
highest in education and health services (22 percent) and in leisure and hospitality (20 percent).

Unemployment

Typically, the number of unemployed young people increases with the onset of summer, as people who 
were not in the labor force while attending school begin seeking employment. To be classified as 
unemployed, a person must be available for work and either looking for work or on temporary layoff.
From April to July 2026, the number of unemployed youth rose by 322,000 to 2.1 million. About 7 in 
10 of the unemployed youth were looking for full-time work in July 2026. (See tables 1 and 2.) 

The youth unemployment rate, at 9.1 percent in July 2026, was 1.7 percentage points lower than the 
rate in July 2025 (10.8 percent). The July 2026 unemployment rates for young men (8.8 percent), 
White youth (8.3 percent), and Hispanic youth (8.9 percent) were lower than in the prior summer,
while the rates for young women (9.4 percent), Black youth (12.0 percent), and Asian youth
(11.0 percent) showed little change.

Technical Note

   The estimates in this news 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 news 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 news release are described briefly below.

   Employed. Employed people 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 business or a farm operated by a family member in their
household. People 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. People 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 people classified as employed or unemployed.

   Unemployment rate. The unemployment rate is the number of unemployed people 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 people 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. People with two or more jobs are classified in the job at which they worked the greatest
number of hours. Beginning with data for 2025, people are classified using the 2022 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 people 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 people whose businesses are
incorporated are included with private wage and salary workers.

   Unpaid family workers. Included in this group are people 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.