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From April to July 2017, the labor force of 16- to 24-year-olds grew by 2.4 million, or 11.6 percent, to 23.1 million. Over the same period, the number of employed 16- to 24-year-olds increased by 1.9 million to 20.9 million. The youth labor force—those 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.
Month | Labor force, total | Employed, total | Labor force, men | Employed, men | Labor force, women | Employed, women |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jan 2007 |
21,770,000 | 19,407,000 | 11,322,000 | 9,974,000 | 10,448,000 | 9,433,000 |
Feb 2007 |
21,645,000 | 19,415,000 | 11,308,000 | 9,958,000 | 10,338,000 | 9,457,000 |
Mar 2007 |
21,634,000 | 19,538,000 | 11,317,000 | 10,086,000 | 10,317,000 | 9,452,000 |
Apr 2007 |
21,442,000 | 19,368,000 | 11,274,000 | 10,080,000 | 10,168,000 | 9,288,000 |
May 2007 |
21,659,000 | 19,457,000 | 11,458,000 | 10,157,000 | 10,201,000 | 9,300,000 |
Jun 2007 |
23,981,000 | 21,098,000 | 12,686,000 | 11,020,000 | 11,294,000 | 10,078,000 |
Jul 2007 |
24,339,000 | 21,717,000 | 12,845,000 | 11,421,000 | 11,494,000 | 10,296,000 |
Aug 2007 |
22,801,000 | 20,413,000 | 11,988,000 | 10,691,000 | 10,812,000 | 9,722,000 |
Sep 2007 |
21,917,000 | 19,498,000 | 11,397,000 | 10,014,000 | 10,519,000 | 9,484,000 |
Oct 2007 |
21,821,000 | 19,564,000 | 11,404,000 | 10,133,000 | 10,417,000 | 9,430,000 |
Nov 2007 |
21,909,000 | 19,660,000 | 11,401,000 | 10,107,000 | 10,508,000 | 9,553,000 |
Dec 2007 |
21,684,000 | 19,361,000 | 11,223,000 | 9,854,000 | 10,461,000 | 9,507,000 |
Jan 2008 |
21,357,000 | 18,724,000 | 11,102,000 | 9,522,000 | 10,256,000 | 9,202,000 |
Feb 2008 |
21,027,000 | 18,546,000 | 11,002,000 | 9,484,000 | 10,024,000 | 9,062,000 |
Mar 2008 |
21,092,000 | 18,745,000 | 11,082,000 | 9,677,000 | 10,010,000 | 9,069,000 |
Apr 2008 |
21,357,000 | 19,161,000 | 11,151,000 | 9,883,000 | 10,207,000 | 9,278,000 |
May 2008 |
22,206,000 | 19,254,000 | 11,715,000 | 10,047,000 | 10,491,000 | 9,207,000 |
Jun 2008 |
23,916,000 | 20,466,000 | 12,604,000 | 10,662,000 | 11,312,000 | 9,804,000 |
Jul 2008 |
24,429,000 | 21,021,000 | 12,882,000 | 10,946,000 | 11,547,000 | 10,075,000 |
Aug 2008 |
23,086,000 | 20,096,000 | 12,125,000 | 10,496,000 | 10,961,000 | 9,601,000 |
Sep 2008 |
21,722,000 | 18,818,000 | 11,418,000 | 9,771,000 | 10,304,000 | 9,047,000 |
Oct 2008 |
21,599,000 | 18,757,000 | 11,280,000 | 9,518,000 | 10,318,000 | 9,239,000 |
Nov 2008 |
21,287,000 | 18,454,000 | 11,054,000 | 9,345,000 | 10,233,000 | 9,109,000 |
Dec 2008 |
21,306,000 | 18,378,000 | 11,036,000 | 9,220,000 | 10,270,000 | 9,158,000 |
Jan 2009 |
20,745,000 | 17,467,000 | 10,678,000 | 8,665,000 | 10,067,000 | 8,802,000 |
Feb 2009 |
21,063,000 | 17,606,000 | 10,919,000 | 8,789,000 | 10,144,000 | 8,817,000 |
Mar 2009 |
20,935,000 | 17,564,000 | 10,815,000 | 8,689,000 | 10,119,000 | 8,875,000 |
Apr 2009 |
21,060,000 | 17,739,000 | 10,972,000 | 8,915,000 | 10,088,000 | 8,824,000 |
May 2009 |
21,439,000 | 17,588,000 | 11,228,000 | 8,896,000 | 10,211,000 | 8,692,000 |
Jun 2009 |
23,379,000 | 18,726,000 | 12,154,000 | 9,564,000 | 11,225,000 | 9,162,000 |
Jul 2009 |
23,691,000 | 19,304,000 | 12,298,000 | 9,880,000 | 11,393,000 | 9,424,000 |
Aug 2009 |
22,274,000 | 18,270,000 | 11,574,000 | 9,336,000 | 10,701,000 | 8,934,000 |
Sep 2009 |
20,746,000 | 16,972,000 | 10,751,000 | 8,581,000 | 9,995,000 | 8,391,000 |
Oct 2009 |
20,460,000 | 16,671,000 | 10,593,000 | 8,325,000 | 9,867,000 | 8,347,000 |
Nov 2009 |
20,388,000 | 16,689,000 | 10,455,000 | 8,286,000 | 9,933,000 | 8,403,000 |
Dec 2009 |
20,147,000 | 16,615,000 | 10,348,000 | 8,134,000 | 9,799,000 | 8,481,000 |
Jan 2010 |
20,149,000 | 16,166,000 | 10,372,000 | 7,842,000 | 9,776,000 | 8,324,000 |
Feb 2010 |
20,300,000 | 16,412,000 | 10,465,000 | 8,076,000 | 9,835,000 | 8,336,000 |
Mar 2010 |
20,335,000 | 16,587,000 | 10,602,000 | 8,262,000 | 9,734,000 | 8,325,000 |
Apr 2010 |
20,567,000 | 16,764,000 | 10,727,000 | 8,407,000 | 9,840,000 | 8,357,000 |
May 2010 |
20,894,000 | 17,039,000 | 10,817,000 | 8,676,000 | 10,077,000 | 8,363,000 |
Jun 2010 |
22,401,000 | 17,920,000 | 11,710,000 | 9,122,000 | 10,692,000 | 8,798,000 |
Jul 2010 |
22,938,000 | 18,564,000 | 11,997,000 | 9,537,000 | 10,942,000 | 9,027,000 |
Aug 2010 |
21,964,000 | 18,061,000 | 11,423,000 | 9,235,000 | 10,542,000 | 8,827,000 |
Sep 2010 |
20,478,000 | 16,874,000 | 10,561,000 | 8,517,000 | 9,917,000 | 8,357,000 |
Oct 2010 |
20,598,000 | 16,867,000 | 10,545,000 | 8,491,000 | 10,053,000 | 8,376,000 |
Nov 2010 |
20,507,000 | 16,946,000 | 10,602,000 | 8,542,000 | 9,905,000 | 8,404,000 |
Dec 2010 |
20,079,000 | 16,727,000 | 10,446,000 | 8,428,000 | 9,633,000 | 8,299,000 |
Jan 2011 |
20,363,000 | 16,512,000 | 10,640,000 | 8,430,000 | 9,722,000 | 8,082,000 |
Feb 2011 |
20,335,000 | 16,638,000 | 10,614,000 | 8,466,000 | 9,721,000 | 8,172,000 |
Mar 2011 |
20,418,000 | 16,898,000 | 10,640,000 | 8,559,000 | 9,778,000 | 8,339,000 |
Apr 2011 |
20,335,000 | 16,970,000 | 10,540,000 | 8,590,000 | 9,795,000 | 8,381,000 |
May 2011 |
20,673,000 | 17,045,000 | 10,815,000 | 8,778,000 | 9,859,000 | 8,268,000 |
Jun 2011 |
22,428,000 | 18,180,000 | 11,795,000 | 9,471,000 | 10,633,000 | 8,709,000 |
Jul 2011 |
22,742,000 | 18,632,000 | 11,930,000 | 9,746,000 | 10,812,000 | 8,886,000 |
Aug 2011 |
21,887,000 | 18,067,000 | 11,578,000 | 9,448,000 | 10,309,000 | 8,619,000 |
Sep 2011 |
20,779,000 | 17,238,000 | 10,860,000 | 8,899,000 | 9,919,000 | 8,339,000 |
Oct 2011 |
20,918,000 | 17,532,000 | 10,911,000 | 9,023,000 | 10,007,000 | 8,509,000 |
Nov 2011 |
20,689,000 | 17,402,000 | 10,843,000 | 8,941,000 | 9,846,000 | 8,461,000 |
Dec 2011 |
20,395,000 | 17,234,000 | 10,781,000 | 8,862,000 | 9,614,000 | 8,372,000 |
Jan 2012 |
20,360,000 | 16,944,000 | 10,525,000 | 8,565,000 | 9,835,000 | 8,378,000 |
Feb 2012 |
20,658,000 | 17,150,000 | 10,628,000 | 8,505,000 | 10,029,000 | 8,645,000 |
Mar 2012 |
20,594,000 | 17,301,000 | 10,594,000 | 8,716,000 | 10,000,000 | 8,585,000 |
Apr 2012 |
20,562,000 | 17,387,000 | 10,648,000 | 8,842,000 | 9,914,000 | 8,545,000 |
May 2012 |
21,118,000 | 17,681,000 | 10,980,000 | 9,054,000 | 10,138,000 | 8,626,000 |
Jun 2012 |
23,086,000 | 18,907,000 | 12,093,000 | 9,733,000 | 10,994,000 | 9,174,000 |
Jul 2012 |
23,472,000 | 19,461,000 | 12,355,000 | 10,140,000 | 11,117,000 | 9,321,000 |
Aug 2012 |
21,842,000 | 18,171,000 | 11,408,000 | 9,341,000 | 10,434,000 | 8,830,000 |
Sep 2012 |
20,861,000 | 17,687,000 | 10,841,000 | 9,034,000 | 10,020,000 | 8,653,000 |
Oct 2012 |
21,127,000 | 17,842,000 | 10,986,000 | 9,163,000 | 10,141,000 | 8,678,000 |
Nov 2012 |
20,979,000 | 17,877,000 | 10,856,000 | 9,168,000 | 10,123,000 | 8,709,000 |
Dec 2012 |
20,757,000 | 17,604,000 | 10,687,000 | 8,940,000 | 10,070,000 | 8,664,000 |
Jan 2013 |
20,857,000 | 17,183,000 | 10,822,000 | 8,698,000 | 10,035,000 | 8,486,000 |
Feb 2013 |
20,707,000 | 17,257,000 | 10,685,000 | 8,756,000 | 10,022,000 | 8,502,000 |
Mar 2013 |
20,532,000 | 17,271,000 | 10,674,000 | 8,785,000 | 9,859,000 | 8,487,000 |
Apr 2013 |
20,721,000 | 17,593,000 | 10,596,000 | 8,863,000 | 10,126,000 | 8,729,000 |
May 2013 |
21,181,000 | 17,704,000 | 11,023,000 | 9,051,000 | 10,158,000 | 8,652,000 |
Jun 2013 |
23,322,000 | 19,125,000 | 12,179,000 | 9,752,000 | 11,143,000 | 9,372,000 |
Jul 2013 |
23,506,000 | 19,684,000 | 12,283,000 | 10,127,000 | 11,223,000 | 9,557,000 |
Aug 2013 |
22,089,000 | 18,636,000 | 11,533,000 | 9,594,000 | 10,556,000 | 9,042,000 |
Sep 2013 |
21,183,000 | 18,043,000 | 11,122,000 | 9,258,000 | 10,061,000 | 8,785,000 |
Oct 2013 |
21,003,000 | 17,976,000 | 10,838,000 | 9,104,000 | 10,165,000 | 8,872,000 |
Nov 2013 |
20,825,000 | 18,104,000 | 10,630,000 | 9,141,000 | 10,194,000 | 8,963,000 |
Dec 2013 |
20,642,000 | 18,106,000 | 10,563,000 | 9,148,000 | 10,078,000 | 8,958,000 |
Jan 2014 |
20,423,000 | 17,372,000 | 10,400,000 | 8,685,000 | 10,023,000 | 8,687,000 |
Feb 2014 |
20,390,000 | 17,357,000 | 10,412,000 | 8,596,000 | 9,977,000 | 8,761,000 |
Mar 2014 |
20,941,000 | 17,939,000 | 10,872,000 | 9,106,000 | 10,069,000 | 8,832,000 |
Apr 2014 |
20,461,000 | 18,021,000 | 10,532,000 | 9,127,000 | 9,929,000 | 8,894,000 |
May 2014 |
21,160,000 | 18,329,000 | 10,850,000 | 9,316,000 | 10,310,000 | 9,013,000 |
Jun 2014 |
22,851,000 | 19,421,000 | 11,915,000 | 9,983,000 | 10,936,000 | 9,439,000 |
Jul 2014 |
23,437,000 | 20,085,000 | 12,335,000 | 10,470,000 | 11,102,000 | 9,614,000 |
Aug 2014 |
21,816,000 | 18,972,000 | 11,443,000 | 9,878,000 | 10,373,000 | 9,093,000 |
Sep 2014 |
20,959,000 | 18,104,000 | 10,930,000 | 9,312,000 | 10,029,000 | 8,792,000 |
Oct 2014 |
21,403,000 | 18,781,000 | 10,979,000 | 9,651,000 | 10,424,000 | 9,130,000 |
Nov 2014 |
21,034,000 | 18,576,000 | 10,742,000 | 9,442,000 | 10,293,000 | 9,135,000 |
Dec 2014 |
20,664,000 | 18,347,000 | 10,698,000 | 9,334,000 | 9,966,000 | 9,013,000 |
Jan 2015 |
20,555,000 | 17,912,000 | 10,592,000 | 9,028,000 | 9,964,000 | 8,884,000 |
Feb 2015 |
20,751,000 | 18,222,000 | 10,709,000 | 9,255,000 | 10,042,000 | 8,967,000 |
Mar 2015 |
20,600,000 | 18,076,000 | 10,559,000 | 9,085,000 | 10,041,000 | 8,991,000 |
Apr 2015 |
20,416,000 | 18,241,000 | 10,508,000 | 9,298,000 | 9,908,000 | 8,943,000 |
May 2015 |
21,342,000 | 18,709,000 | 11,069,000 | 9,569,000 | 10,272,000 | 9,140,000 |
Jun 2015 |
22,926,000 | 19,789,000 | 11,766,000 | 10,005,000 | 11,161,000 | 9,784,000 |
Jul 2015 |
23,162,000 | 20,333,000 | 12,011,000 | 10,488,000 | 11,151,000 | 9,846,000 |
Aug 2015 |
21,967,000 | 19,577,000 | 11,346,000 | 10,059,000 | 10,621,000 | 9,518,000 |
Sep 2015 |
20,611,000 | 18,355,000 | 10,638,000 | 9,381,000 | 9,973,000 | 8,975,000 |
Oct 2015 |
20,877,000 | 18,654,000 | 10,716,000 | 9,485,000 | 10,161,000 | 9,169,000 |
Nov 2015 |
20,632,000 | 18,485,000 | 10,521,000 | 9,251,000 | 10,112,000 | 9,234,000 |
Dec 2015 |
20,835,000 | 18,720,000 | 10,636,000 | 9,421,000 | 10,199,000 | 9,299,000 |
Jan 2016 |
20,364,000 | 18,159,000 | 10,314,000 | 9,063,000 | 10,050,000 | 9,096,000 |
Feb 2016 |
20,685,000 | 18,456,000 | 10,658,000 | 9,374,000 | 10,027,000 | 9,082,000 |
Mar 2016 |
20,740,000 | 18,580,000 | 10,629,000 | 9,390,000 | 10,111,000 | 9,190,000 |
Apr 2016 |
20,548,000 | 18,511,000 | 10,527,000 | 9,442,000 | 10,021,000 | 9,069,000 |
May 2016 |
21,102,000 | 18,875,000 | 10,800,000 | 9,637,000 | 10,302,000 | 9,237,000 |
Jun 2016 |
22,755,000 | 19,967,000 | 11,869,000 | 10,314,000 | 10,886,000 | 9,653,000 |
Jul 2016 |
23,104,000 | 20,456,000 | 12,094,000 | 10,638,000 | 11,010,000 | 9,818,000 |
Aug 2016 |
22,098,000 | 19,876,000 | 11,542,000 | 10,265,000 | 10,556,000 | 9,612,000 |
Sep 2016 |
20,819,000 | 18,693,000 | 10,818,000 | 9,628,000 | 10,001,000 | 9,065,000 |
Oct 2016 |
20,790,000 | 18,695,000 | 10,775,000 | 9,533,000 | 10,015,000 | 9,162,000 |
Nov 2016 |
20,735,000 | 18,801,000 | 10,685,000 | 9,530,000 | 10,051,000 | 9,271,000 |
Dec 2016 |
20,689,000 | 18,830,000 | 10,680,000 | 9,536,000 | 10,009,000 | 9,294,000 |
Jan 2017 |
20,507,000 | 18,311,000 | 10,533,000 | 9,266,000 | 9,974,000 | 9,046,000 |
Feb 2017 |
20,697,000 | 18,604,000 | 10,662,000 | 9,390,000 | 10,035,000 | 9,214,000 |
Mar 2017 |
20,756,000 | 18,914,000 | 10,604,000 | 9,497,000 | 10,152,000 | 9,417,000 |
Apr 2017 |
20,708,000 | 18,948,000 | 10,647,000 | 9,633,000 | 10,060,000 | 9,315,000 |
May 2017 |
20,899,000 | 19,070,000 | 10,840,000 | 9,790,000 | 10,059,000 | 9,281,000 |
Jun 2017 |
22,720,000 | 20,330,000 | 11,785,000 | 10,447,000 | 10,935,000 | 9,883,000 |
Jul 2017 |
23,107,000 | 20,890,000 | 11,983,000 | 10,773,000 | 11,124,000 | 10,117,000 |
The labor force participation rate for 16- to 24-year-olds was 60.6 percent in July, little different from a year earlier. (The labor force participation rate is the proportion of the civilian noninstitutional population that is working or looking and available for work.) The summer labor force participation rate of 16- to 24-year-olds has held fairly steady since July 2010, after trending downward for the prior two decades. The summer youth labor force participation rate peaked at 77.5 percent in July 1989.
Month | Total | Men | Women |
---|---|---|---|
Jul 1948 |
66.2% | 85.8% | 48.0% |
Jul 1949 |
66.2 | 85.8 | 48.2 |
Jul 1950 |
64.9 | 86.0 | 45.1 |
Jul 1951 |
65.8 | 85.8 | 49.5 |
Jul 1952 |
63.7 | 85.2 | 47.1 |
Jul 1953 |
62.2 | 82.8 | 46.7 |
Jul 1954 |
61.7 | 82.5 | 45.5 |
Jul 1955 |
62.8 | 83.2 | 46.5 |
Jul 1956 |
66.0 | 85.8 | 49.7 |
Jul 1957 |
66.0 | 86.1 | 49.2 |
Jul 1958 |
64.0 | 83.5 | 47.4 |
Jul 1959 |
63.1 | 82.9 | 45.8 |
Jul 1960 |
64.7 | 83.0 | 48.4 |
Jul 1961 |
64.1 | 81.5 | 48.4 |
Jul 1962 |
64.3 | 81.9 | 48.8 |
Jul 1963 |
63.6 | 81.1 | 48.1 |
Jul 1964 |
63.2 | 81.2 | 47.1 |
Jul 1965 |
65.3 | 83.2 | 49.2 |
Jul 1966 |
66.7 | 83.1 | 52.2 |
Jul 1967 |
67.7 | 83.8 | 53.8 |
Jul 1968 |
67.8 | 82.6 | 55.1 |
Jul 1969 |
68.6 | 82.5 | 56.6 |
Jul 1970 |
68.7 | 82.2 | 56.8 |
Jul 1971 |
68.9 | 81.8 | 57.1 |
Jul 1972 |
70.2 | 82.3 | 58.9 |
Jul 1973 |
71.9 | 84.2 | 60.3 |
Jul 1974 |
73.2 | 84.3 | 62.6 |
Jul 1975 |
73.0 | 83.5 | 63.1 |
Jul 1976 |
74.1 | 83.8 | 64.9 |
Jul 1977 |
74.7 | 84.5 | 65.2 |
Jul 1978 |
76.5 | 85.0 | 68.4 |
Jul 1979 |
76.6 | 85.0 | 68.4 |
Jul 1980 |
76.3 | 84.4 | 68.5 |
Jul 1981 |
75.3 | 82.7 | 68.0 |
Jul 1982 |
74.7 | 81.2 | 68.5 |
Jul 1983 |
75.6 | 83.0 | 68.4 |
Jul 1984 |
76.3 | 82.5 | 70.3 |
Jul 1985 |
76.5 | 82.8 | 70.3 |
Jul 1986 |
76.7 | 82.9 | 70.6 |
Jul 1987 |
76.3 | 81.4 | 71.3 |
Jul 1988 |
76.9 | 82.5 | 71.4 |
Jul 1989 |
77.5 | 82.8 | 72.4 |
Jul 1990 |
75.1 | 80.8 | 69.5 |
Jul 1991 |
73.6 | 79.6 | 67.6 |
Jul 1992 |
74.6 | 79.8 | 69.5 |
Jul 1993 |
74.5 | 79.5 | 69.5 |
Jul 1994 |
74.1 | 78.8 | 69.4 |
Jul 1995 |
74.3 | 79.3 | 69.3 |
Jul 1996 |
73.3 | 78.3 | 68.3 |
Jul 1997 |
73.0 | 76.5 | 69.4 |
Jul 1998 |
72.8 | 76.3 | 69.3 |
Jul 1999 |
72.6 | 76.0 | 69.1 |
Jul 2000 |
71.6 | 75.2 | 68.1 |
Jul 2001 |
70.7 | 74.1 | 67.2 |
Jul 2002 |
69.5 | 72.3 | 66.6 |
Jul 2003 |
67.3 | 70.0 | 64.5 |
Jul 2004 |
67.2 | 70.4 | 63.9 |
Jul 2005 |
66.6 | 69.6 | 63.6 |
Jul 2006 |
66.7 | 69.7 | 63.6 |
Jul 2007 |
65.0 | 67.9 | 62.1 |
Jul 2008 |
65.1 | 68.1 | 62.1 |
Jul 2009 |
63.0 | 64.9 | 61.1 |
Jul 2010 |
60.5 | 62.7 | 58.1 |
Jul 2011 |
59.5 | 61.4 | 57.6 |
Jul 2012 |
60.5 | 63.2 | 57.8 |
Jul 2013 |
60.5 | 62.7 | 58.2 |
Jul 2014 |
60.5 | 63.2 | 57.8 |
Jul 2015 |
60.0 | 61.8 | 58.2 |
Jul 2016 |
60.1 | 62.4 | 57.7 |
Jul 2017 |
60.6 | 62.3 | 58.8 |
The July 2017 labor force participation rate for young men, at 62.3 percent, continued to be higher than the rate for young women, at 58.8 percent. The rate for young women edged up from last July, while the rate for young men was essentially unchanged.
These data are from the Current Population Survey. For more information, see “Employment and Unemployment among Youth — Summer 2017” (HTML) (PDF).
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Summer youth labor force in July 2017 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2017/summer-youth-labor-force-in-july-2017.htm (visited October 31, 2024).