Summer Youth Labor Force News Release

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Thursday, August 21, 2025                                  USDL-25-1301

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 2025


In July 2025, 53.1 percent of young people (those ages 16 to 24) were employed, the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. This measure is down from 54.5 percent in 
July 2024. (The month of July typically is the summertime peak in youth employment.) The 
youth unemployment rate was 10.8 percent in July 2025, higher than the rate in July 2024 
(9.8 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 2025, the youth labor force grew by 1.9 million, or
8.9 percent, from April (21.7 million) to July (23.7 million). (See table 1.)

The labor force participation rate for all youth was 59.5 percent in July 2025, little
different from a year earlier. (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 2025 labor force participation rates for 16- to 24- year-old men (60.6 percent) and
women (58.4 percent) were little changed over the year. Continuing a long-standing pattern,
White youth had the highest labor force participation rate, and Asian youth had the lowest
rate (62.3 percent versus 47.2 percent) in July 2025. The participation rate for White youth
decreased from 63.5 percent in July 2024 to 62.3 percent in July 2025. The participation rates
for Black (52.2 percent), Asian (47.2 percent), and Hispanic (57.3 percent) youth showed
little change over the year.

Employment

There were 21.1 million employed 16- to 24-year-olds in July 2025. Between April and July, the
number of employed youth rose by 1.2 million, or 6.2 percent. The employment-population ratio
for youth--the proportion of the 16- to 24-year-old civilian noninstitutional population with
a job--was 53.1 percent in July 2025, lower than the rate of 54.5 percent from a year earlier.
(See tables 1 and 2.)

In July 2025, the employment-population ratios for young women (52.3 percent), White youth
(56.2 percent), and Asian youth (41.0 percent) were lower than a year earlier. The ratios for
young men (53.9 percent), Black youth (44.7 percent), and Hispanic youth (50.1 percent) were
little changed over the year.

In July 2025, 25 percent (5.4 million) of employed 16- to 24-year-olds worked in the leisure
and hospitality industry, the largest share of youth workers. An additional 17 percent of
employed youth worked in the retail trade industry, and 14 percent worked in education and
health services. (See table 3.)

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 either be looking and available for work or on
temporary layoff. From April to July 2025, the number of unemployed youth rose by 690,000 to
2.5 million. About 7 in 10 of the unemployed youth were looking for full-time work in July
2025. (See tables 1 and 2.)

The youth unemployment rate, at 10.8 percent in July 2025, was 1.0 percentage point higher
than the rate in July 2024. The July 2025 unemployment rates were higher for young men (11.0
percent) and White youth (9.8 percent) than in the prior summer, while the rates for young
women (10.5 percent), Black youth (14.3 percent), Asian youth (13.3 percent), and Hispanic
youth (12.6 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; 
or (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.