An official website of the United States government
For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, August 24, 2011 USDL-11-1246 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 2011 From April to July 2011, the number of employed youth 16 to 24 years old rose by 1.7 million to 18.6 million, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This year, the share of young people who were employed in July was 48.8 percent, the lowest July rate on record for the series, which began in 1948. (The month of July typically is the summertime peak in youth employment.) Unemployment among youth increased by 745,000 between April and July, more than last year’s increase of 571,000, but well below the levels seen in 2008 and 2009 (1.2 and 1.1 million, respectively). (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 11.8 percent, to a total of 22.7 million in July. (See table 1.) The labor force participation rate for all youth--the proportion of the population 16 to 24 years old working or looking for work--was 59.5 percent in July, the lowest July rate on record. The July 2011 rate was down by 1.0 percentage point from July 2010 and was 18.0 percentage points below the peak for that month in 1989 (77.5 percent). The July 2011 labor force participation rate for 16- to 24-year-old men, at 61.4 percent, fell by 1.3 percentage points from a year earlier. The rate for women, at 57.6 percent, edged down over the year. For several decades prior to 1989, the July labor force participation rate for young men showed no clear trend, ranging from 81 to 86 percent. Since July 1989, however, their participation rate for the month declined, falling by about 21 percentage points. The July labor force participation rate for young women peaked in 1989 at 72.4 percent, following a long-term upward trend; their rate has since fallen by about 15 percentage points. The July 2011 labor force participation rate for Hispanic youth was 53.6 percent, down by 2.5 percentage points over the year. The rate for whites decreased by 1.0 percentage point to 62.2 percent. The participation rate for young blacks, at 50.2 percent, was down slightly, while the rate for Asian youth (47.9 percent) was little different from last year. (See table 2.) Employment In July 2011, 18.6 million 16- to 24-year-olds were employed, about the same as last year. This summer's increase in youth employment--from April to July--was 1.7 million, down slightly from last summer (1.8 million). The employment-population ratio for youth--the proportion of the 16- to 24-year-old civilian noninstitutional population that was employed--was 48.8 percent in July, a record low for the series, though only marginally lower than in July 2010. (See table 2.) In July 2011, the employment-population ratios were little changed from a year earlier for all major demographic groups--young men (50.2 percent), women (47.3 percent), whites (52.3 percent), blacks (34.6 percent), Asians (40.5 percent), and Hispanics (42.9 percent). Twenty-six percent of employed youth worked in the leisure and hospitality sector (which includes food services), about the same as in July 2010. Another 21 percent were employed in the retail trade industry, also about the same proportion as last year. (See table 3.) Unemployment The number of unemployed youth in July 2011 was 4.1 million, down from 4.4 million a year ago. The youth unemployment rate declined by 1.0 percentage point over the year to 18.1 percent in July 2011, after hitting a record high for July in 2010. Among major demographic groups, unemployment rates were lower than a year earlier for young men (18.3 percent) and Asians (15.3 percent), while jobless rates were little changed for young women (17.8 percent), whites (15.9 percent), blacks (31.0 percent), and Hispanics (20.1 percent). (See table 2.)
Technical Note The estimates in this release were obtained from the Current Population Survey (CPS), a national sample survey of 60,000 households conducted month- ly 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 Web site 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 Ser- vice: (800) 877-8339. Reliability 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 exact difference, or sampling error, varies de- pending upon the particular sample selected, and this 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 infor- mation, and errors made in the collection or processing of the data. A full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS and infor- mation on estimating standard errors is available on the BLS Web site at www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#reliability. Definitions The principal definitions used in this release are described briefly below. 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-operated enterprise; or (d) were temporarily absent from their jobs because of illness, vacation, labor dispute, or another reason. Unemployed persons are all persons who had no employment during the ref- erence week, were available for work, except for temporary illness, and had made specific efforts to find employment sometime during the 4 weeks preceding the survey. 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. Civilian labor force comprises all persons classified as employed or unemployed. Unemployment rate represents the number of unemployed persons as a percent of the civilian labor force. Not in the labor force includes all persons who are not classified as employed or unemployed. Industry and class of worker for the employed relate to the job held in the survey reference week. Persons with two or more jobs are classified in the job at which they worked the greatest number of hours. Persons are classified using the 2007 Census industry classification system. The class-of-worker break- down assigns workers to the following categories: Private and government wage and salary workers, self-employed workers, and unpaid family workers. Wage and salary workers receive wages, salary, commissions, tips, or pay in kind from a private employer or from a government unit. Self-employed persons are those who work for profit or fees in their own business, profession, trade, or farm. Unpaid family workers are persons working without pay for 15 hours a week or more on a farm or business operated by a family member in their household.
Employment status, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity |
April | May | June | July | April-July changes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number | Percent | |||||
TOTAL |
||||||
Civilian noninstitutional population |
38,191 | 38,192 | 38,194 | 38,196 | 5 | 0.0 |
Civilian labor force |
20,335 | 20,673 | 22,428 | 22,742 | 2,407 | 11.8 |
Participation rate |
53.2 | 54.1 | 58.7 | 59.5 | 6.3 | 11.8 |
Employed |
16,970 | 17,045 | 18,180 | 18,632 | 1,662 | 9.8 |
Employment-population ratio |
44.4 | 44.6 | 47.6 | 48.8 | 4.4 | 9.9 |
Unemployed |
3,365 | 3,628 | 4,248 | 4,110 | 745 | 22.1 |
Looking for full-time work |
2,417 | 2,675 | 3,184 | 3,238 | 821 | 34.0 |
Looking for part-time work |
948 | 953 | 1,064 | 872 | -76 | -8.0 |
Unemployment rate |
16.5 | 17.5 | 18.9 | 18.1 | 1.6 | 9.7 |
Not in labor force |
17,856 | 17,518 | 15,765 | 15,454 | -2,402 | -13.5 |
Men |
||||||
Civilian noninstitutional population |
19,421 | 19,422 | 19,423 | 19,425 | 4 | 0.0 |
Civilian labor force |
10,540 | 10,815 | 11,795 | 11,930 | 1,390 | 13.2 |
Participation rate |
54.3 | 55.7 | 60.7 | 61.4 | 7.1 | 13.1 |
Employed |
8,590 | 8,778 | 9,471 | 9,746 | 1,156 | 13.5 |
Employment-population ratio |
44.2 | 45.2 | 48.8 | 50.2 | 6.0 | 13.6 |
Unemployed |
1,950 | 2,037 | 2,324 | 2,184 | 234 | 12.0 |
Looking for full-time work |
1,475 | 1,596 | 1,791 | 1,809 | 334 | 22.6 |
Looking for part-time work |
476 | 441 | 532 | 375 | -101 | -21.2 |
Unemployment rate |
18.5 | 18.8 | 19.7 | 18.3 | -0.2 | -1.1 |
Not in labor force |
8,881 | 8,607 | 7,628 | 7,494 | -1,387 | -15.6 |
Women |
||||||
Civilian noninstitutional population |
18,770 | 18,770 | 18,771 | 18,772 | 2 | 0.0 |
Civilian labor force |
9,795 | 9,859 | 10,633 | 10,812 | 1,017 | 10.4 |
Participation rate |
52.2 | 52.5 | 56.6 | 57.6 | 5.4 | 10.3 |
Employed |
8,381 | 8,268 | 8,709 | 8,886 | 505 | 6.0 |
Employment-population ratio |
44.6 | 44.0 | 46.4 | 47.3 | 2.7 | 6.1 |
Unemployed |
1,414 | 1,591 | 1,925 | 1,926 | 512 | 36.2 |
Looking for full-time work |
942 | 1,079 | 1,392 | 1,428 | 486 | 51.6 |
Looking for part-time work |
472 | 512 | 532 | 497 | 25 | 5.3 |
Unemployment rate |
14.4 | 16.1 | 18.1 | 17.8 | 3.4 | 23.6 |
Not in labor force |
8,975 | 8,911 | 8,137 | 7,960 | -1,015 | -11.3 |
White |
||||||
Civilian noninstitutional population |
29,385 | 29,381 | 29,379 | 29,377 | -8 | 0.0 |
Civilian labor force |
16,296 | 16,635 | 18,041 | 18,266 | 1,970 | 12.1 |
Participation rate |
55.5 | 56.6 | 61.4 | 62.2 | 6.7 | 12.1 |
Employed |
13,895 | 14,077 | 15,027 | 15,367 | 1,472 | 10.6 |
Employment-population ratio |
47.3 | 47.9 | 51.2 | 52.3 | 5.0 | 10.6 |
Unemployed |
2,401 | 2,558 | 3,013 | 2,899 | 498 | 20.7 |
Looking for full-time work |
1,684 | 1,862 | 2,220 | 2,203 | 519 | 30.8 |
Looking for part-time work |
717 | 696 | 793 | 696 | -21 | -2.9 |
Unemployment rate |
14.7 | 15.4 | 16.7 | 15.9 | 1.2 | 8.2 |
Not in labor force |
13,089 | 12,746 | 11,338 | 11,111 | -1,978 | -15.1 |
Black or African American |
||||||
Civilian noninstitutional population |
5,760 | 5,761 | 5,762 | 5,763 | 3 | 0.1 |
Civilian labor force |
2,714 | 2,669 | 2,918 | 2,893 | 179 | 6.6 |
Participation rate |
47.1 | 46.3 | 50.6 | 50.2 | 3.1 | 6.6 |
Employed |
1,959 | 1,881 | 2,002 | 1,996 | 37 | 1.9 |
Employment-population ratio |
34.0 | 32.6 | 34.7 | 34.6 | 0.6 | 1.8 |
Unemployed |
755 | 788 | 916 | 897 | 142 | 18.8 |
Looking for full-time work |
593 | 633 | 759 | 778 | 185 | 31.2 |
Looking for part-time work |
161 | 156 | 157 | 118 | -43 | -26.7 |
Unemployment rate |
27.8 | 29.5 | 31.4 | 31.0 | 3.2 | 11.5 |
Not in labor force |
3,047 | 3,092 | 2,844 | 2,870 | -177 | -5.8 |
Asian |
||||||
Civilian noninstitutional population |
1,610 | 1,577 | 1,579 | 1,573 | -37 | -2.3 |
Civilian labor force |
665 | 649 | 693 | 753 | 88 | 13.2 |
Participation rate |
41.3 | 41.1 | 43.9 | 47.9 | 6.6 | 16.0 |
Employed |
590 | 530 | 583 | 638 | 48 | 8.1 |
Employment-population ratio |
36.7 | 33.6 | 36.9 | 40.5 | 3.8 | 10.4 |
Unemployed |
75 | 119 | 110 | 115 | 40 | 53.3 |
Looking for full-time work |
47 | 80 | 75 | 97 | 50 | 106.4 |
Looking for part-time work |
28 | 39 | 35 | 18 | -10 | -35.7 |
Unemployment rate |
11.3 | 18.3 | 15.9 | 15.3 | 4.0 | 35.4 |
Not in labor force |
944 | 928 | 885 | 820 | -124 | -13.1 |
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity |
||||||
Civilian noninstitutional population |
7,559 | 7,575 | 7,590 | 7,605 | 46 | 0.6 |
Civilian labor force |
3,825 | 3,904 | 4,073 | 4,080 | 255 | 6.7 |
Participation rate |
50.6 | 51.5 | 53.7 | 53.6 | 3.0 | 5.9 |
Employed |
3,132 | 3,154 | 3,219 | 3,260 | 128 | 4.1 |
Employment-population ratio |
41.4 | 41.6 | 42.4 | 42.9 | 1.5 | 3.6 |
Unemployed |
693 | 750 | 854 | 820 | 127 | 18.3 |
Looking for full-time work |
529 | 575 | 638 | 646 | 117 | 22.1 |
Looking for part-time work |
163 | 175 | 216 | 174 | 11 | 6.7 |
Unemployment rate |
18.1 | 19.2 | 21.0 | 20.1 | 2.0 | 11.0 |
Not in labor force |
3,734 | 3,670 | 3,517 | 3,525 | -209 | -5.6 |
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. |
Employment status, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity |
2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
---|---|---|---|---|
TOTAL |
||||
Civilian noninstitutional population |
37,506 | 37,586 | 37,944 | 38,196 |
Civilian labor force |
24,429 | 23,691 | 22,938 | 22,742 |
Participation rate |
65.1 | 63.0 | 60.5 | 59.5 |
Employed |
21,021 | 19,304 | 18,564 | 18,632 |
Employment-population ratio |
56.0 | 51.4 | 48.9 | 48.8 |
Unemployed |
3,408 | 4,387 | 4,374 | 4,110 |
Looking for full-time work |
2,552 | 3,430 | 3,374 | 3,238 |
Looking for part-time work |
856 | 957 | 1,000 | 872 |
Unemployment rate |
14.0 | 18.5 | 19.1 | 18.1 |
Not in labor force |
13,076 | 13,895 | 15,006 | 15,454 |
Men |
||||
Civilian noninstitutional population |
18,919 | 18,935 | 19,126 | 19,425 |
Civilian labor force |
12,882 | 12,298 | 11,997 | 11,930 |
Participation rate |
68.1 | 64.9 | 62.7 | 61.4 |
Employed |
10,946 | 9,880 | 9,537 | 9,746 |
Employment-population ratio |
57.9 | 52.2 | 49.9 | 50.2 |
Unemployed |
1,935 | 2,418 | 2,460 | 2,184 |
Looking for full-time work |
1,483 | 1,973 | 1,949 | 1,809 |
Looking for part-time work |
453 | 444 | 510 | 375 |
Unemployment rate |
15.0 | 19.7 | 20.5 | 18.3 |
Not in labor force |
6,037 | 6,637 | 7,129 | 7,494 |
Women |
||||
Civilian noninstitutional population |
18,587 | 18,650 | 18,819 | 18,772 |
Civilian labor force |
11,547 | 11,393 | 10,942 | 10,812 |
Participation rate |
62.1 | 61.1 | 58.1 | 57.6 |
Employed |
10,075 | 9,424 | 9,027 | 8,886 |
Employment-population ratio |
54.2 | 50.5 | 48.0 | 47.3 |
Unemployed |
1,473 | 1,969 | 1,914 | 1,926 |
Looking for full-time work |
1,070 | 1,456 | 1,425 | 1,428 |
Looking for part-time work |
403 | 513 | 489 | 497 |
Unemployment rate |
12.8 | 17.3 | 17.5 | 17.8 |
Not in labor force |
7,039 | 7,257 | 7,877 | 7,960 |
White |
||||
Civilian noninstitutional population |
29,012 | 29,010 | 29,164 | 29,377 |
Civilian labor force |
19,760 | 19,147 | 18,441 | 18,266 |
Participation rate |
68.1 | 66.0 | 63.2 | 62.2 |
Employed |
17,323 | 16,000 | 15,455 | 15,367 |
Employment-population ratio |
59.7 | 55.2 | 53.0 | 52.3 |
Unemployed |
2,437 | 3,147 | 2,987 | 2,899 |
Looking for full-time work |
1,759 | 2,403 | 2,253 | 2,203 |
Looking for part-time work |
678 | 744 | 733 | 696 |
Unemployment rate |
12.3 | 16.4 | 16.2 | 15.9 |
Not in labor force |
9,252 | 9,863 | 10,722 | 11,111 |
Black or African American |
||||
Civilian noninstitutional population |
5,595 | 5,662 | 5,756 | 5,763 |
Civilian labor force |
3,062 | 2,995 | 2,972 | 2,893 |
Participation rate |
54.7 | 52.9 | 51.6 | 50.2 |
Employed |
2,302 | 2,060 | 1,980 | 1,996 |
Employment-population ratio |
41.2 | 36.4 | 34.4 | 34.6 |
Unemployed |
760 | 935 | 992 | 897 |
Looking for full-time work |
647 | 772 | 843 | 778 |
Looking for part-time work |
112 | 163 | 149 | 118 |
Unemployment rate |
24.8 | 31.2 | 33.4 | 31.0 |
Not in labor force |
2,533 | 2,667 | 2,783 | 2,870 |
Asian |
||||
Civilian noninstitutional population |
1,516 | 1,500 | 1,576 | 1,573 |
Civilian labor force |
767 | 740 | 762 | 753 |
Participation rate |
50.6 | 49.3 | 48.3 | 47.9 |
Employed |
703 | 619 | 597 | 638 |
Employment-population ratio |
46.4 | 41.3 | 37.9 | 40.5 |
Unemployed |
64 | 121 | 165 | 115 |
Looking for full-time work |
38 | 96 | 122 | 97 |
Looking for part-time work |
26 | 24 | 42 | 18 |
Unemployment rate |
8.4 | 16.3 | 21.6 | 15.3 |
Not in labor force |
748 | 760 | 814 | 820 |
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity |
||||
Civilian noninstitutional population |
6,669 | 6,752 | 7,128 | 7,605 |
Civilian labor force |
4,007 | 4,014 | 3,995 | 4,080 |
Participation rate |
60.1 | 59.4 | 56.1 | 53.6 |
Employed |
3,367 | 3,143 | 3,111 | 3,260 |
Employment-population ratio |
50.5 | 46.5 | 43.6 | 42.9 |
Unemployed |
639 | 871 | 884 | 820 |
Looking for full-time work |
487 | 693 | 703 | 646 |
Looking for part-time work |
153 | 178 | 181 | 174 |
Unemployment rate |
16.0 | 21.7 | 22.1 | 20.1 |
Not in labor force |
2,662 | 2,738 | 3,133 | 3,525 |
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. |
Industry and class of worker | Total | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino ethnicity | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | 2011 | 2010 | 2011 | 2010 | 2011 | 2010 | 2011 | 2010 | 2011 | |
Total employed |
18,564 | 18,632 | 15,455 | 15,367 | 1,980 | 1,996 | 597 | 638 | 3,111 | 3,260 |
Agriculture and related industries |
372 | 382 | 358 | 369 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 97 | 121 |
Nonagricultural industries |
18,192 | 18,251 | 15,097 | 14,998 | 1,970 | 1,992 | 597 | 638 | 3,015 | 3,139 |
Private wage and salary workers |
16,311 | 16,472 | 13,528 | 13,575 | 1,782 | 1,773 | 525 | 589 | 2,709 | 2,899 |
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction |
63 | 76 | 63 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 18 |
Construction |
819 | 744 | 770 | 684 | 33 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 257 | 265 |
Manufacturing |
1,015 | 1,106 | 849 | 896 | 91 | 116 | 51 | 58 | 213 | 192 |
Durable goods |
598 | 688 | 507 | 590 | 44 | 49 | 27 | 35 | 113 | 99 |
Nondurable goods |
417 | 418 | 342 | 306 | 47 | 67 | 23 | 24 | 100 | 93 |
Wholesale trade |
297 | 342 | 249 | 278 | 29 | 47 | 7 | 14 | 54 | 112 |
Retail trade |
3,659 | 3,869 | 2,959 | 3,104 | 473 | 502 | 126 | 153 | 495 | 662 |
Transportation and utilities |
355 | 360 | 301 | 284 | 44 | 66 | 6 | 4 | 63 | 75 |
Information |
361 | 329 | 254 | 271 | 59 | 22 | 34 | 21 | 66 | 47 |
Financial activities |
794 | 716 | 686 | 595 | 42 | 66 | 48 | 36 | 117 | 117 |
Professional and business services |
1,395 | 1,326 | 1,130 | 1,071 | 166 | 141 | 48 | 69 | 282 | 262 |
Education and health services |
2,169 | 1,936 | 1,692 | 1,520 | 337 | 285 | 79 | 75 | 253 | 246 |
Leisure and hospitality |
4,595 | 4,770 | 3,879 | 4,016 | 449 | 456 | 106 | 127 | 759 | 763 |
Other services |
789 | 898 | 697 | 795 | 58 | 42 | 21 | 27 | 138 | 138 |
Government wage and salary workers |
1,433 | 1,382 | 1,172 | 1,072 | 160 | 190 | 57 | 43 | 224 | 170 |
Federal |
221 | 190 | 158 | 134 | 50 | 35 | 4 | 3 | 25 | 11 |
State |
443 | 452 | 373 | 348 | 36 | 61 | 21 | 18 | 63 | 62 |
Local |
769 | 739 | 642 | 590 | 74 | 95 | 32 | 22 | 136 | 97 |
Self-employed and unpaid family workers |
447 | 397 | 397 | 350 | 28 | 29 | 15 | 5 | 82 | 70 |
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. |