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Youth labor force participation rate at 61.8 percent in July 2019, a 9-year high
August 23, 2019
The youth labor force grows sharply between April and July each year. During these months, many high school and college students search for or take summer jobs. Many graduates also enter the labor market for permanent employment. In July 2019, 61.8 percent of 16- to 24-year-olds participated in the labor force. That is, they were working or looking for work. The July 2019 labor force participation rate for youth was notably higher than the July rates for the prior 9 years. However, the rate remained considerably below the July 1989 peak of 77.5 percent.
Labor force participation rate and unemployment rate of 16- to 24-year-olds in July, 1948–2019, not seasonally adjusted
Year
Labor force participation rate
Unemployment rate
1948
66.2
8.4
1949
66.2
13.1
1950
64.9
9.6
1951
65.8
6.6
1952
63.7
7.0
1953
62.2
5.7
1954
61.7
11.3
1955
62.8
8.9
1956
66.0
9.4
1957
66.0
9.1
1958
64.0
15.1
1959
63.1
11.1
1960
64.7
11.2
1961
64.1
13.8
1962
64.3
11.3
1963
63.6
13.1
1964
63.2
11.0
1965
65.3
10.2
1966
66.7
8.8
1967
67.7
9.7
1968
67.8
9.8
1969
68.6
9.4
1970
68.7
11.7
1971
68.9
13.3
1972
70.2
12.5
1973
71.9
11.1
1974
73.2
12.4
1975
73.0
16.3
1976
74.1
14.1
1977
74.7
13.3
1978
76.5
12.6
1979
76.6
11.7
1980
76.3
14.7
1981
75.3
14.0
1982
74.7
17.3
1983
75.6
16.2
1984
76.3
13.4
1985
76.5
13.7
1986
76.7
13.0
1987
76.3
11.7
1988
76.9
10.9
1989
77.5
10.7
1990
75.1
10.9
1991
73.6
13.7
1992
74.6
14.5
1993
74.5
13.3
1994
74.1
12.7
1995
74.3
12.7
1996
73.3
12.6
1997
73.0
11.4
1998
72.8
10.8
1999
72.6
10.1
2000
71.6
9.6
2001
70.7
10.5
2002
69.5
12.4
2003
67.3
13.3
2004
67.2
12.3
2005
66.6
11.0
2006
66.7
11.2
2007
65.0
10.8
2008
65.1
14.0
2009
63.0
18.5
2010
60.5
19.1
2011
59.5
18.1
2012
60.5
17.1
2013
60.5
16.3
2014
60.5
14.3
2015
60.0
12.2
2016
60.1
11.5
2017
60.6
9.6
2018
60.6
9.2
2019
61.8
9.1
The unemployment rate for youth was 9.1 percent in July 2019. While little changed from the prior year, this is the lowest summer youth unemployment rate since July 1966.
United States Department of Labor
