Youth Employment in Summer 2025: What the BLS Data Showed
In July 2025, 21.1 million people ages 16 to 24 were employed in the U.S., and the youth unemployment rate was 10.8%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
The BLS summer youth report provides a snapshot of employment, unemployment, labor force participation, and the industries where young people were working.
Here are the key numbers.
What was the youth employment rate in July 2025?
BLS reported that 53.1% of people ages 16 to 24 were employed in July 2025.
That was down from 54.5% in July 2024.
BLS notes that July typically represents the summertime peak in youth employment.
How much did the youth labor force grow?
The youth labor force includes people ages 16 to 24 who are either working or actively looking for work.
BLS reported that the youth labor force grew from 21.7 million in April to 23.7 million in July 2025.
That was an increase of 1.9 million people, or 8.9%.
BLS explains that the youth labor force typically grows between April and July as high school and college students search for or begin summer jobs and graduates enter the labor market for permanent employment.
What was the youth unemployment rate in 2025?
The youth unemployment rate was 10.8% in July 2025, compared with 9.8% in July 2024.
About 2.5 million young people were unemployed in July.
BLS also reported that about 7 in 10 unemployed youth were looking for full-time work.
Because the report focuses on seasonal changes in youth employment during the spring and summer, BLS states that the figures are not seasonally adjusted.
Which industries employed the most young workers?
In July 2025:
25% of employed youth worked in leisure and hospitality
17% worked in retail trade
14% worked in education and health services
Leisure and hospitality employed the largest share of workers ages 16 to 24.
What does the data show?
The BLS report provides a national snapshot of young people participating in the labor market during summer 2025.
The data shows:
21.1 million young people were employed
The employment-population ratio was 53.1%
The youth unemployment rate was 10.8%
The youth labor force grew by 1.9 million between April and July
Leisure and hospitality employed the largest share of young workers
These statistics describe labor-market outcomes. They do not, by themselves, explain why employment or unemployment changed.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What ages does BLS include as youth?
For this report, BLS defines youth as people ages 16 to 24.
Was the summer 2025 youth data seasonally adjusted?
No.
BLS states that the data are not seasonally adjusted because the report focuses specifically on seasonal changes between spring and summer.
Which industry employed the most young workers?
Leisure and hospitality, with 25% of employed youth in July 2025.
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Sources & References
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2025, August 21). Employment and unemployment among youth — Summer 2025. U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/youth_08212025.htm
