Despite bump this year, teen summer employment remains well below historic highs
% of U.S. 16- to 19-year-olds who were employed
Note: Data is not seasonally adjusted. Except for 2026, “summer average” is for June, July and August, and “rest of year average” is for the other months. For 2026, “summer average” is for June and July only, and “rest of the year average” is for January through May. Chart depicts three most recent recessions.
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Despite bump this year, teen summer employment remains well below historic highs
% of U.S. 16- to 19-year-olds who were employed
| Year | Summer average | Rest of year average |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | 56.5 | 44.7 |
| 1949 | 51.9 | 43.0 |
| 1950 | 53.9 | 42.7 |
| 1951 | 56.8 | 44.9 |
| 1952 | 55.9 | 43.9 |
| 1953 | 55.3 | 43.4 |
| 1954 | 49.6 | 39.8 |
| 1955 | 51.8 | 40.8 |
| 1956 | 55.1 | 42.0 |
| 1957 | 53.0 | 40.8 |
| 1958 | 47.6 | 37.2 |
| 1959 | 48.4 | 37.0 |
| 1960 | 50.4 | 37.2 |
| 1961 | 49.0 | 35.7 |
| 1962 | 50.0 | 35.8 |
| 1963 | 46.3 | 34.4 |
| 1964 | 46.5 | 34.2 |
| 1965 | 48.5 | 35.7 |
| 1966 | 53.3 | 38.3 |
| 1967 | 53.2 | 38.5 |
| 1968 | 52.9 | 38.6 |
| 1969 | 53.9 | 39.9 |
| 1970 | 51.3 | 39.3 |
| 1971 | 50.1 | 38.4 |
| 1972 | 52.8 | 40.4 |
| 1973 | 54.9 | 42.9 |
| 1974 | 54.6 | 43.2 |
| 1975 | 51.5 | 40.5 |
| 1976 | 53.1 | 41.2 |
| 1977 | 55.2 | 43.0 |
| 1978 | 58.0 | 45.1 |
| 1979 | 56.7 | 45.8 |
| 1980 | 54.5 | 44.0 |
| 1981 | 52.7 | 41.8 |
| 1982 | 49.5 | 38.9 |
| 1983 | 50.8 | 38.5 |
| 1984 | 53.2 | 40.6 |
| 1985 | 52.8 | 41.5 |
| 1986 | 53.6 | 41.7 |
| 1987 | 54.5 | 42.4 |
| 1988 | 56.7 | 43.6 |
| 1989 | 57.0 | 44.3 |
| 1990 | 53.3 | 42.7 |
| 1991 | 49.5 | 39.4 |
| 1992 | 49.0 | 38.3 |
| 1993 | 50.1 | 38.9 |
| 1994 | 51.7 | 40.6 |
| 1995 | 52.5 | 41.5 |
| 1996 | 50.8 | 41.1 |
| 1997 | 50.1 | 41.1 |
| 1998 | 52.0 | 42.8 |
| 1999 | 51.1 | 42.6 |
| 2000 | 51.7 | 43.0 |
| 2001 | 48.0 | 40.4 |
| 2002 | 45.2 | 37.7 |
| 2003 | 41.7 | 35.1 |
| 2004 | 41.6 | 34.7 |
| 2005 | 42.2 | 34.5 |
| 2006 | 42.6 | 35.1 |
| 2007 | 39.6 | 33.2 |
| 2008 | 37.4 | 31.0 |
| 2009 | 32.9 | 26.9 |
| 2010 | 29.6 | 24.7 |
| 2011 | 29.6 | 24.5 |
| 2012 | 30.5 | 24.6 |
| 2013 | 30.8 | 25.2 |
| 2014 | 31.3 | 26.1 |
| 2015 | 32.3 | 27.2 |
| 2016 | 34.0 | 28.3 |
| 2017 | 35.0 | 28.7 |
| 2018 | 34.6 | 29.2 |
| 2019 | 35.8 | 29.2 |
| 2020 | 30.8 | 27.5 |
| 2021 | 36.6 | 30.5 |
| 2022 | 37.4 | 31.3 |
| 2023 | 36.6 | 31.5 |
| 2024 | 36.0 | 30.9 |
| 2025 | 33.8 | 30.1 |
| 2026 | 35.5 | 29.1 |
Note: Data is not seasonally adjusted. Except for 2026, “summer average” is for June, July and August, and “rest of year average” is for the other months. For 2026, “summer average” is for June and July only, and “rest of the year average” is for January through May. Chart depicts three most recent recessions.
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
