Summer Job Market Promising for Teens Seeking Work

The number of teens looking for work increases sharply between the months of April and July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There is some good news this year for young job seekers. Economists say it appears there are plenty of opportunities to go around.

Juan Carlos Martinez is a professor of economics at Dallas College. He said the job market is favorable for teens right now.

“If you want to work there are a lot of jobs out there,” he said. “Businesses need labor and now they’ll go down into the teens' area if they need to. It’s still very competitive and companies are competing for labor.”

Data on youth summer workforce participation is published each August by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Research shows 55.3% of young people between 16 and 24 were employed in July of 2022. That was up from 54.4% in July of 2021.

Overall, the unemployment rate is down, also a good sign for teens says Martinez.

“Remember the time when the unemployment rate went up and a lot of adults would take whatever job so they could to make ends meet,” Martinez said. “And that squeezed a lot of the teen demographics out.”

The summer break just started for Connor Bowers, and already the rising junior has work lined up. He created a flyer to distribute around his neighborhood to homeowners needing assistance around their property.

“I’m going to make my own money. It’s going feel great because I’m doing it myself,” Bowers said. “That flyer was sent out two days ago and I’ve already gotten like four or five requests.”

In July of last year, there were 21 million employed 16 to 24-year-olds. Martinez said he wouldn’t be surprised if that number increased or held steady

Bowers said quite a few of his friends take on summer jobs. The payoff is straightforward.

“Definitely build life skills. Being able to talk with people. Being able to do business,” he said. “I’m not being spoon-fed. I’m doing something for myself.”