Employment and Unemployment Among Youth Technical Note

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.

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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 family member’s business. 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 2020, people 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 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.