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Youth unemployment rate, 11.5 percent; employment–population ratio, 53.2 percent in July 2016
August 22, 2016
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.
Unemployment rate, employment–population ratio, and labor force participation rate, persons age 16 to 24 years, July 2000 to July 2016, not seasonally adjusted
Month
Unemployment rate
Employment–population ratio
Labor force participation rate
Jul 2000
9.6
64.8
71.6
Aug 2000
8.8
62.8
68.9
Sep 2000
8.7
58.5
64.1
Oct 2000
8.4
59.3
64.8
Nov 2000
8.7
58.8
64.4
Dec 2000
8.3
59.4
64.7
Jan 2001
10.3
57.1
63.6
Feb 2001
10.3
57.1
63.6
Mar 2001
10.2
57.2
63.8
Apr 2001
9.6
57.0
63.1
May 2001
10.0
56.7
62.9
Jun 2001
11.6
61.1
69.1
Jul 2001
10.5
63.3
70.7
Aug 2001
10.7
58.9
66.0
Sep 2001
10.5
56.4
62.9
Oct 2001
11.0
56.3
63.2
Nov 2001
11.2
56.1
63.1
Dec 2001
11.0
55.6
62.4
Jan 2002
12.9
53.0
60.8
Feb 2002
12.5
54.0
61.7
Mar 2002
12.9
54.1
62.1
Apr 2002
11.6
54.2
61.3
May 2002
11.6
55.2
62.5
Jun 2002
13.2
59.2
68.2
Jul 2002
12.4
60.9
69.5
Aug 2002
11.5
58.4
66.0
Sep 2002
11.4
54.9
62.0
Oct 2002
11.2
55.1
62.0
Nov 2002
11.7
54.7
61.9
Dec 2002
10.9
54.6
61.3
Jan 2003
12.7
52.7
60.4
Feb 2003
12.7
52.8
60.5
Mar 2003
12.2
52.3
59.6
Apr 2003
12.0
52.7
59.9
May 2003
13.0
53.1
61.0
Jun 2003
14.8
56.9
66.8
Jul 2003
13.3
58.3
67.3
Aug 2003
11.9
56.2
63.7
Sep 2003
12.5
52.6
60.1
Oct 2003
11.6
53.1
60.1
Nov 2003
11.6
53.1
60.1
Dec 2003
10.5
53.0
59.2
Jan 2004
12.8
52.0
59.6
Feb 2004
12.3
51.9
59.1
Mar 2004
12.1
51.6
58.7
Apr 2004
11.1
52.7
59.3
May 2004
12.2
52.9
60.2
Jun 2004
13.4
56.6
65.3
Jul 2004
12.3
58.9
67.2
Aug 2004
11.1
56.7
63.8
Sep 2004
11.5
52.5
59.4
Oct 2004
11.6
53.7
60.8
Nov 2004
11.1
53.7
60.4
Dec 2004
10.5
53.7
59.9
Jan 2005
12.4
51.6
58.9
Feb 2005
13.0
51.0
58.7
Mar 2005
11.7
51.9
58.8
Apr 2005
11.2
52.1
58.7
May 2005
11.9
52.8
60.0
Jun 2005
12.6
57.2
65.4
Jul 2005
11.0
59.3
66.6
Aug 2005
10.8
56.7
63.6
Sep 2005
10.7
53.1
59.5
Oct 2005
10.3
53.8
60.1
Nov 2005
10.7
53.7
60.1
Dec 2005
9.4
53.6
59.2
Jan 2006
11.1
51.7
58.1
Feb 2006
11.3
52.1
58.8
Mar 2006
10.3
52.4
58.4
Apr 2006
9.7
52.7
58.3
May 2006
10.2
53.6
59.7
Jun 2006
11.9
57.6
65.3
Jul 2006
11.2
59.2
66.7
Aug 2006
10.4
57.2
63.9
Sep 2006
10.5
52.9
59.1
Oct 2006
10.2
53.6
59.7
Nov 2006
10.1
53.7
59.7
Dec 2006
9.1
54.3
59.7
Jan 2007
10.9
52.1
58.4
Feb 2007
10.3
52.0
58.0
Mar 2007
9.7
52.3
58.0
Apr 2007
9.7
51.9
57.4
May 2007
10.2
52.1
57.9
Jun 2007
12.0
56.4
64.1
Jul 2007
10.8
58.0
65.0
Aug 2007
10.5
54.5
60.9
Sep 2007
11.0
52.0
58.5
Oct 2007
10.3
52.2
58.2
Nov 2007
10.3
52.4
58.4
Dec 2007
10.7
51.6
57.8
Jan 2008
12.3
50.1
57.2
Feb 2008
11.8
49.6
56.3
Mar 2008
11.1
50.1
56.4
Apr 2008
10.3
51.2
57.1
May 2008
13.3
51.4
59.3
Jun 2008
14.4
54.6
63.8
Jul 2008
14.0
56.0
65.1
Aug 2008
13.0
53.6
61.5
Sep 2008
13.4
50.1
57.9
Oct 2008
13.2
49.9
57.5
Nov 2008
13.3
49.1
56.6
Dec 2008
13.7
48.9
56.6
Jan 2009
15.8
46.6
55.3
Feb 2009
16.4
46.9
56.2
Mar 2009
16.1
46.8
55.8
Apr 2009
15.8
47.3
56.1
May 2009
18.0
46.8
57.1
Jun 2009
19.9
49.8
62.2
Jul 2009
18.5
51.4
63.0
Aug 2009
18.0
48.6
59.2
Sep 2009
18.2
45.1
55.2
Oct 2009
18.5
44.3
54.4
Nov 2009
18.1
44.4
54.2
Dec 2009
17.5
44.2
53.6
Jan 2010
19.8
42.6
53.1
Feb 2010
19.2
43.2
53.5
Mar 2010
18.4
43.7
53.6
Apr 2010
18.5
44.2
54.2
May 2010
18.4
44.9
55.1
Jun 2010
20.0
47.2
59.0
Jul 2010
19.1
48.9
60.5
Aug 2010
17.8
47.6
57.9
Sep 2010
17.6
44.5
54.0
Oct 2010
18.1
44.4
54.3
Nov 2010
17.4
44.7
54.0
Dec 2010
16.7
44.1
52.9
Jan 2011
18.9
43.2
53.3
Feb 2011
18.2
43.6
53.2
Mar 2011
17.2
44.2
53.5
Apr 2011
16.5
44.4
53.2
May 2011
17.5
44.6
54.1
Jun 2011
18.9
47.6
58.7
Jul 2011
18.1
48.8
59.5
Aug 2011
17.5
47.3
57.3
Sep 2011
17.0
45.1
54.4
Oct 2011
16.2
45.9
54.8
Nov 2011
15.9
45.5
54.2
Dec 2011
15.5
45.1
53.4
Jan 2012
16.8
43.7
52.6
Feb 2012
17.0
44.3
53.3
Mar 2012
16.0
44.6
53.1
Apr 2012
15.4
44.8
53.0
May 2012
16.3
45.6
54.5
Jun 2012
18.1
48.7
59.5
Jul 2012
17.1
50.2
60.5
Aug 2012
16.8
46.8
56.3
Sep 2012
15.2
45.6
53.8
Oct 2012
15.5
46.0
54.5
Nov 2012
14.8
46.1
54.1
Dec 2012
15.2
45.4
53.5
Jan 2013
17.6
44.2
53.7
Feb 2013
16.7
44.4
53.3
Mar 2013
15.9
44.4
52.8
Apr 2013
15.1
45.3
53.3
May 2013
16.4
45.6
54.5
Jun 2013
18.0
49.2
60.0
Jul 2013
16.3
50.7
60.5
Aug 2013
15.6
48.0
56.9
Sep 2013
14.8
46.5
54.6
Oct 2013
14.4
46.3
54.1
Nov 2013
13.1
46.7
53.7
Dec 2013
12.3
46.7
53.2
Jan 2014
14.9
44.8
52.7
Feb 2014
14.9
44.8
52.6
Mar 2014
14.3
46.3
54.0
Apr 2014
11.9
46.5
52.8
May 2014
13.4
47.3
54.6
Jun 2014
15.0
50.1
59.0
Jul 2014
14.3
51.9
60.5
Aug 2014
13.0
49.0
56.4
Sep 2014
13.6
46.8
54.2
Oct 2014
12.2
48.6
55.4
Nov 2014
11.7
48.1
54.5
Dec 2014
11.2
47.5
53.5
Jan 2015
12.9
46.2
53.1
Feb 2015
12.2
47.1
53.6
Mar 2015
12.3
46.7
53.3
Apr 2015
10.7
47.2
52.8
May 2015
12.3
48.4
55.2
Jun 2015
13.7
51.3
59.4
Jul 2015
12.2
52.7
60.0
Aug 2015
10.9
50.8
57.0
Sep 2015
10.9
47.6
53.5
Oct 2015
10.6
48.5
54.2
Nov 2015
10.4
48.1
53.6
Dec 2015
10.1
48.7
54.2
Jan 2016
10.8
47.2
52.9
Feb 2016
10.8
48.0
53.7
Mar 2016
10.4
48.3
53.9
Apr 2016
9.9
48.1
53.4
May 2016
10.6
49.1
54.9
Jun 2016
12.3
51.9
59.2
Jul 2016
11.5
53.2
60.1
In July 2016, 11.5 percent of people 16 to 24 years old were counted as unemployed, little changed from a year earlier. These young people were not employed, were available for work, and had actively looked for a job sometime during the prior 4 weeks. The unemployment rate of young people was 12.2 percent a year earlier, in July 2015. Since 2000, the youth unemployment rate in July has been as low as 9.6 percent and as high as 19.1 percent.
The youth labor force participation rate (the proportion of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 to 24 years old that is working or looking for work) was 60.1 percent in July, also little changed from a year earlier. The participation rate was 60.5 percent in 2010 and 71.6 percent in 2000.
The month of July typically is the summertime peak in youth employment. In 2016, 53.2 percent of young people 16 to 24 years old were employed in July, little changed from 52.7 percent in 2015. Before 2003, the July youth employment–population ratio was above 60.0 percent, as it had been for decades; in 2010 and 2011 it was below 50.0 percent.
These data are from the Current Population Survey and are not seasonally adjusted. For more information, see "Employment and Unemployment among Youth — Summer 2016" (HTML) (PDF).
United States Department of Labor
