2026 Summer Employment and Unemployment Among Youth — 2026-08-20

In July 2026, 53.8 percent of young people (those ages 16 to 24) were employed, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This measure was little changed from 53.1 percent in July 2025. (The month of July typically is the summertime peak in youth employment.) The youth unemployment rate was 9.1 percent in July 2026, lower than the rate in July 2025 (10.8 percent). (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.) 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.