For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, August 24, 2011 USDL-11-1246 

Technical information: (202) 691-6378 • cpsinfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/cps 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov 

EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG YOUTH — SUMMER 2011

From April to July 2011, the number of employed youth 16 to 24 years old rose by 1.7 million to 18.6 

million, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This year, the share of young people who 

were employed in July was 48.8 percent, the lowest July rate on record for the series, which began in 

1948. (The month of July typically is the summertime peak in youth employment.) Unemployment 

among youth increased by 745,000 between April and July, more than last year’s increase of 571,000, 

but well below the levels seen in 2008 and 2009 (1.2 and 1.1 million, respectively). (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.) 

Labor force 

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. This summer, the youth labor force grew by 2.4 million, or 11.8 percent, to a 

total of 22.7 million in July. (See table 1.) 

The labor force participation rate for all youth—the proportion of the population 16 to 24 years old 

working or looking for work—was 59.5 percent in July, the lowest July rate on record. The July 2011 

rate was down by 1.0 percentage point from July 2010 and was 18.0 percentage points below the peak 

for that month in 1989 (77.5 percent). 

The July 2011 labor force participation rate for 16- to 24-year-old men, at 61.4 percent, fell by 1.3 

percentage points from a year earlier. The rate for women, at 57.6 percent, edged down over the year. 

For several decades prior to 1989, the July labor force participation rate for young men showed no clear 

trend, ranging from 81 to 86 percent. Since July 1989, however, their participation rate for the month 

declined, falling by about 21 percentage points. The July labor force participation rate for young women 

peaked in 1989 at 72.4 percent, following a long-term upward trend; their rate has since fallen by about 

15 percentage points. 

The July 2011 labor force participation rate for Hispanic youth was 53.6 percent, down by 2.5 

percentage points over the year. The rate for whites decreased by 1.0 percentage point to 62.2 percent. 

The participation rate for young blacks, at 50.2 percent, was down slightly, while the rate for Asian 

youth (47.9 percent) was little different from last year. (See table 2.) 
- 2 -

Employment 

In July 2011, 18.6 million 16- to 24-year-olds were employed, about the same as last year. This 

summer's increase in youth employment—from April to July—was 1.7 million, down slightly from last 

summer (1.8 million). The employment-population ratio for youth—the proportion of the 16- to 24-yearold civilian noninstitutional population that was employed—was 48.8 percent in July, a record low for 

the series, though only marginally lower than in July 2010. (See table 2.) 

In July 2011, the employment-population ratios were little changed from a year earlier for all major 

demographic groups—young men (50.2 percent), women (47.3 percent), whites (52.3 percent), blacks 

(34.6 percent), Asians (40.5 percent), and Hispanics (42.9 percent). 

Twenty-six percent of employed youth worked in the leisure and hospitality sector (which includes food 

services), about the same as in July 2010. Another 21 percent were employed in the retail trade industry, 

also about the same proportion as last year. (See table 3.) 

Unemployment 

The number of unemployed youth in July 2011 was 4.1 million, down from 4.4 million a year ago. The 

youth unemployment rate declined by 1.0 percentage point over the year to 18.1 percent in July 2011, 

after hitting a record high for July in 2010. Among major demographic groups, unemployment rates 

were lower than a year earlier for young men (18.3 percent) and Asians (15.3 percent), while jobless 

rates were little changed for young women (17.8 percent), whites (15.9 percent), blacks (31.0 percent), 

and Hispanics (20.1 percent). (See table 2.)
Technical Note 

The estimates in this release were obtained from the 

Current Population Survey (CPS), a national sample survey 

of 60,000 households conducted monthly for the Bureau of 

Labor Statistics (BLS) by the U.S. Census Bureau. The data 

in this release relate to the employment status of youth (16- 

to 24-year-olds) during the months of April-July. This period 

was selected as being the most representative time frame in 

which to measure the full summertime transition from 

school to work. July is the peak summer month of youth 

employment. 

Beginning in January of each year, data reflect revised 

population controls used in the CPS. Additional information 

about population controls is available on the BLS Web site 

at www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#pop. 

Information in this release will be made available to 

sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 

(202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339. 

Reliability 

Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both 

sampling and nonsampling error. When a sample, rather than 

the entire population, is surveyed, there is a chance that the 

sample estimates may differ from the "true" population 

values they represent. The exact difference, or sampling 

error, varies depending upon the particular sample selected, 

and this variability is measured by the standard error of the 

estimate. There is about a 90-percent chance, or level of 

confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will differ by 

no more than 1.6 standard errors from the "true" population 

value because of sampling error. BLS analyses are generally 

conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence. 

The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error. 

Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including 

the failure to sample a segment of the population, inability to 

obtain information for all respondents in the sample, 

inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct 

information, and errors made in the collection or processing 

of the data. 

A full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS 

and information on estimating standard errors is available at 

www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#reliability. 

Definitions 

The principal definitions used in this release are 

described briefly below. 

Employed persons are all those who, during the survey 

reference week (which is generally the week including the 

12th day of the month), (a) did any work at all as paid 

employees; (b) worked in their own business, profession, or 

on their own farm; (c) worked 15 hours or more as unpaid 

workers in a family-operated enterprise; or (d) were 

temporarily absent from their jobs because of illness, 

vacation, labor dispute, or another reason. 

Unemployed persons are all persons who had no 

employment during the reference week, were available for 

work, except for temporary illness, and had made specific 

efforts to find employment sometime during the 4 weeks 

preceding the survey. Persons who were waiting to be 

recalled to a job from which they had been laid off need not 

have been looking for work to be classified as unemployed. 

Civilian labor force comprises all persons classified as 

employed or unemployed. 

Unemployment rate represents the number of 

unemployed persons as a percent of the civilian labor force. 

Not in the labor force includes all persons who are not 

classified as employed or unemployed. 

Industry and class of worker for the employed relate to 

the job held in the survey reference week. Persons with two 

or more jobs are classified in the job at which they worked 

the greatest number of hours. Persons are classified using the 

2007 Census industry classification system. The class-ofworker breakdown assigns workers to the following 

categories: Private and government wage and salary 

workers, self-employed workers, and unpaid family workers. 

Wage and salary workers receive wages, salary, 

commissions, tips, or pay in kind from a private employer or 

from a government unit. Self-employed persons are those 

who work for profit or fees in their own business, 

profession, trade, or farm. Unpaid family workers are 

persons working without pay for 15 hours a week or more on 

a farm or in a business operated by a family member in their 

household. 
Table 1. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 to 24 years of age by sex, race, and

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, April-July 2011

[Numbers in thousands. Data are not seasonally adjusted.]

Employment status, sex, race, and

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity April May June July

April-July changes

Number Percent

TOTAL

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 38,191 38,192 38,194 38,196 5 0.0

Civilian labor force................................................... 20,335 20,673 22,428 22,742 2,407 11.8

Participation rate................................................... 53.2 54.1 58.7 59.5 6.3 11.8

Employed........................................................... 16,970 17,045 18,180 18,632 1,662 9.8

Employment-population ratio.................................. 44.4 44.6 47.6 48.8 4.4 9.9

Unemployed........................................................ 3,365 3,628 4,248 4,110 745 22.1

Looking for full-time work...................................... 2,417 2,675 3,184 3,238 821 34.0

Looking for part-time work..................................... 948 953 1,064 872 -76 -8.0

Unemployment rate................................................ 16.5 17.5 18.9 18.1 1.6 9.7

Not in labor force..................................................... 17,856 17,518 15,765 15,454 -2,402 -13.5

Men

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 19,421 19,422 19,423 19,425 4 0.0

Civilian labor force................................................... 10,540 10,815 11,795 11,930 1,390 13.2

Participation rate................................................... 54.3 55.7 60.7 61.4 7.1 13.1

Employed........................................................... 8,590 8,778 9,471 9,746 1,156 13.5

Employment-population ratio.................................. 44.2 45.2 48.8 50.2 6.0 13.6

Unemployed........................................................ 1,950 2,037 2,324 2,184 234 12.0

Looking for full-time work...................................... 1,475 1,596 1,791 1,809 334 22.6

Looking for part-time work..................................... 476 441 532 375 -101 -21.2

Unemployment rate................................................ 18.5 18.8 19.7 18.3 -0.2 -1.1

Not in labor force..................................................... 8,881 8,607 7,628 7,494 -1,387 -15.6

Women

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 18,770 18,770 18,771 18,772 2 0.0

Civilian labor force................................................... 9,795 9,859 10,633 10,812 1,017 10.4

Participation rate................................................... 52.2 52.5 56.6 57.6 5.4 10.3

Employed........................................................... 8,381 8,268 8,709 8,886 505 6.0

Employment-population ratio.................................. 44.6 44.0 46.4 47.3 2.7 6.1

Unemployed........................................................ 1,414 1,591 1,925 1,926 512 36.2

Looking for full-time work...................................... 942 1,079 1,392 1,428 486 51.6

Looking for part-time work..................................... 472 512 532 497 25 5.3

Unemployment rate................................................ 14.4 16.1 18.1 17.8 3.4 23.6

Not in labor force..................................................... 8,975 8,911 8,137 7,960 -1,015 -11.3

White

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 29,385 29,381 29,379 29,377 -8 0.0

Civilian labor force................................................... 16,296 16,635 18,041 18,266 1,970 12.1

Participation rate................................................... 55.5 56.6 61.4 62.2 6.7 12.1

Employed........................................................... 13,895 14,077 15,027 15,367 1,472 10.6

Employment-population ratio.................................. 47.3 47.9 51.2 52.3 5.0 10.6

Unemployed........................................................ 2,401 2,558 3,013 2,899 498 20.7

Looking for full-time work...................................... 1,684 1,862 2,220 2,203 519 30.8

Looking for part-time work..................................... 717 696 793 696 -21 -2.9

Unemployment rate................................................ 14.7 15.4 16.7 15.9 1.2 8.2

Not in labor force..................................................... 13,089 12,746 11,338 11,111 -1,978 -15.1

Black or African American

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 5,760 5,761 5,762 5,763 3 0.1

Civilian labor force................................................... 2,714 2,669 2,918 2,893 179 6.6

Participation rate................................................... 47.1 46.3 50.6 50.2 3.1 6.6

Employed........................................................... 1,959 1,881 2,002 1,996 37 1.9

Employment-population ratio.................................. 34.0 32.6 34.7 34.6 0.6 1.8

Unemployed........................................................ 755 788 916 897 142 18.8

Looking for full-time work...................................... 593 633 759 778 185 31.2

Looking for part-time work..................................... 161 156 157 118 -43 -26.7

Unemployment rate................................................ 27.8 29.5 31.4 31.0 3.2 11.5

Not in labor force..................................................... 3,047 3,092 2,844 2,870 -177 -5.8
Table 1. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 to 24 years of age by sex, race, and

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, April-July 2011 — Continued

[Numbers in thousands. Data are not seasonally adjusted.]

Employment status, sex, race, and

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity April May June July

April-July changes

Number Percent

Asian

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 1,610 1,577 1,579 1,573 -37 -2.3

Civilian labor force................................................... 665 649 693 753 88 13.2

Participation rate................................................... 41.3 41.1 43.9 47.9 6.6 16.0

Employed........................................................... 590 530 583 638 48 8.1

Employment-population ratio.................................. 36.7 33.6 36.9 40.5 3.8 10.4

Unemployed........................................................ 75 119 110 115 40 53.3

Looking for full-time work...................................... 47 80 75 97 50 106.4

Looking for part-time work..................................... 28 39 35 18 -10 -35.7

Unemployment rate................................................ 11.3 18.3 15.9 15.3 4.0 35.4

Not in labor force..................................................... 944 928 885 820 -124 -13.1

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population.................................... 7,559 7,575 7,590 7,605 46 0.6

Civilian labor force................................................... 3,825 3,904 4,073 4,080 255 6.7

Participation rate................................................... 50.6 51.5 53.7 53.6 3.0 5.9

Employed........................................................... 3,132 3,154 3,219 3,260 128 4.1

Employment-population ratio.................................. 41.4 41.6 42.4 42.9 1.5 3.6

Unemployed........................................................ 693 750 854 820 127 18.3

Looking for full-time work...................................... 529 575 638 646 117 22.1

Looking for part-time work..................................... 163 175 216 174 11 6.7

Unemployment rate................................................ 18.1 19.2 21.0 20.1 2.0 11.0

Not in labor force..................................................... 3,734 3,670 3,517 3,525 -209 -5.6

NOTE: Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races.

Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of

January data.
Table 2. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 to 24 years of age by sex, race, and

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, July 2008-2011

[Numbers in thousands. Data are not seasonally adjusted.]

Employment status, sex, race, and

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity 2008 2009 2010 2011

TOTAL

Civilian noninstitutional population....................................................... 37,506 37,586 37,944 38,196

Civilian labor force...................................................................... 24,429 23,691 22,938 22,742

Participation rate...................................................................... 65.1 63.0 60.5 59.5

Employed.............................................................................. 21,021 19,304 18,564 18,632

Employment-population ratio..................................................... 56.0 51.4 48.9 48.8

Unemployed........................................................................... 3,408 4,387 4,374 4,110

Looking for full-time work......................................................... 2,552 3,430 3,374 3,238

Looking for part-time work........................................................ 856 957 1,000 872

Unemployment rate.................................................................. 14.0 18.5 19.1 18.1

Not in labor force........................................................................ 13,076 13,895 15,006 15,454

Men

Civilian noninstitutional population....................................................... 18,919 18,935 19,126 19,425

Civilian labor force...................................................................... 12,882 12,298 11,997 11,930

Participation rate...................................................................... 68.1 64.9 62.7 61.4

Employed.............................................................................. 10,946 9,880 9,537 9,746

Employment-population ratio..................................................... 57.9 52.2 49.9 50.2

Unemployed........................................................................... 1,935 2,418 2,460 2,184

Looking for full-time work......................................................... 1,483 1,973 1,949 1,809

Looking for part-time work........................................................ 453 444 510 375

Unemployment rate.................................................................. 15.0 19.7 20.5 18.3

Not in labor force........................................................................ 6,037 6,637 7,129 7,494

Women

Civilian noninstitutional population....................................................... 18,587 18,650 18,819 18,772

Civilian labor force...................................................................... 11,547 11,393 10,942 10,812

Participation rate...................................................................... 62.1 61.1 58.1 57.6

Employed.............................................................................. 10,075 9,424 9,027 8,886

Employment-population ratio..................................................... 54.2 50.5 48.0 47.3

Unemployed........................................................................... 1,473 1,969 1,914 1,926

Looking for full-time work......................................................... 1,070 1,456 1,425 1,428

Looking for part-time work........................................................ 403 513 489 497

Unemployment rate.................................................................. 12.8 17.3 17.5 17.8

Not in labor force........................................................................ 7,039 7,257 7,877 7,960

White

Civilian noninstitutional population....................................................... 29,012 29,010 29,164 29,377

Civilian labor force...................................................................... 19,760 19,147 18,441 18,266

Participation rate...................................................................... 68.1 66.0 63.2 62.2

Employed.............................................................................. 17,323 16,000 15,455 15,367

Employment-population ratio..................................................... 59.7 55.2 53.0 52.3

Unemployed........................................................................... 2,437 3,147 2,987 2,899

Looking for full-time work......................................................... 1,759 2,403 2,253 2,203

Looking for part-time work........................................................ 678 744 733 696

Unemployment rate.................................................................. 12.3 16.4 16.2 15.9

Not in labor force........................................................................ 9,252 9,863 10,722 11,111

Black or African American

Civilian noninstitutional population....................................................... 5,595 5,662 5,756 5,763

Civilian labor force...................................................................... 3,062 2,995 2,972 2,893

Participation rate...................................................................... 54.7 52.9 51.6 50.2

Employed.............................................................................. 2,302 2,060 1,980 1,996

Employment-population ratio..................................................... 41.2 36.4 34.4 34.6

Unemployed........................................................................... 760 935 992 897

Looking for full-time work......................................................... 647 772 843 778

Looking for part-time work........................................................ 112 163 149 118

Unemployment rate.................................................................. 24.8 31.2 33.4 31.0

Not in labor force........................................................................ 2,533 2,667 2,783 2,870
Table 2. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 to 24 years of age by sex, race, and

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, July 2008-2011 — Continued

[Numbers in thousands. Data are not seasonally adjusted.]

Employment status, sex, race, and

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity 2008 2009 2010 2011

Asian

Civilian noninstitutional population....................................................... 1,516 1,500 1,576 1,573

Civilian labor force...................................................................... 767 740 762 753

Participation rate...................................................................... 50.6 49.3 48.3 47.9

Employed.............................................................................. 703 619 597 638

Employment-population ratio..................................................... 46.4 41.3 37.9 40.5

Unemployed........................................................................... 64 121 165 115

Looking for full-time work......................................................... 38 96 122 97

Looking for part-time work........................................................ 26 24 42 18

Unemployment rate.................................................................. 8.4 16.3 21.6 15.3

Not in labor force........................................................................ 748 760 814 820

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population....................................................... 6,669 6,752 7,128 7,605

Civilian labor force...................................................................... 4,007 4,014 3,995 4,080

Participation rate...................................................................... 60.1 59.4 56.1 53.6

Employed.............................................................................. 3,367 3,143 3,111 3,260

Employment-population ratio..................................................... 50.5 46.5 43.6 42.9

Unemployed........................................................................... 639 871 884 820

Looking for full-time work......................................................... 487 693 703 646

Looking for part-time work........................................................ 153 178 181 174

Unemployment rate.................................................................. 16.0 21.7 22.1 20.1

Not in labor force........................................................................ 2,662 2,738 3,133 3,525

NOTE: Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races.

Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of

January data.
Table 3. Employed persons 16 to 24 years of age by industry, class of worker, race, and Hispanic or Latino

ethnicity, July 2010-2011

[Numbers in thousands. Data are not seasonally adjusted.]

Industry and class of worker

Total White Black or African

American Asian Hispanic or Latinoethnicity

2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011

Total employed.................................... 18,564 18,632 15,455 15,367 1,980 1,996 597 638 3,111 3,260

Agriculture and related industries............ 372 382 358 369 10 4 0 0 97 121

Nonagricultural industries..................... 18,192 18,251 15,097 14,998 1,970 1,992 597 638 3,015 3,139

Private wage and salary workers. . . . . . . .. 16,311 16,472 13,528 13,575 1,782 1,773 525 589 2,709 2,899

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas

extraction................................ 63 76 63 63 0 0 0 5 12 18

Construction............................... 819 744 770 684 33 29 0 1 257 265

Manufacturing............................. 1,015 1,106 849 896 91 116 51 58 213 192

Durable goods.......................... 598 688 507 590 44 49 27 35 113 99

Nondurable goods..................... 417 418 342 306 47 67 23 24 100 93

Wholesale trade........................... 297 342 249 278 29 47 7 14 54 112

Retail trade................................ 3,659 3,869 2,959 3,104 473 502 126 153 495 662

Transportation and utilities.............. 355 360 301 284 44 66 6 4 63 75

Information................................. 361 329 254 271 59 22 34 21 66 47

Financial activities........................ 794 716 686 595 42 66 48 36 117 117

Professional and business services. . .. 1,395 1,326 1,130 1,071 166 141 48 69 282 262

Education and health services.......... 2,169 1,936 1,692 1,520 337 285 79 75 253 246

Leisure and hospitality................... 4,595 4,770 3,879 4,016 449 456 106 127 759 763

Other services............................. 789 898 697 795 58 42 21 27 138 138

Government wage and salary workers. .. 1,433 1,382 1,172 1,072 160 190 57 43 224 170

Federal..................................... 221 190 158 134 50 35 4 3 25 11

State........................................ 443 452 373 348 36 61 21 18 63 62

Local........................................ 769 739 642 590 74 95 32 22 136 97

Self-employed and unpaid family

workers..................................... 447 397 397 350 28 29 15 5 82 70

NOTE: Estimates for the above race groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races.

Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of

January data.