For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, August 16, 2017 USDL-17-1128 

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 2017

From April to July 2017, the number of employed youth 16 to 24 years old increased by 1.9 million to 

20.9 million, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This year, 54.8 percent of young people 

were employed in July, up by 1.6 percentage points from a year earlier. (The month of July typically is 

the summertime peak in youth employment.) The unemployment rate for youth was 9.6 percent in July, 

down by 1.9 percentage points from July 2016. (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 11.6 percent, to a 

total of 23.1 million in July. (See table 1.) 

The labor force participation rate for all youth was 60.6 percent in July, little different from a year 

earlier. (The labor force participation rate is the proportion of the civilian noninstitutional population 

that is working or looking and available for work.) (See table 2.) The summer labor force participation 

rate of youth has held fairly steady since July 2010, after trending downward for the prior two decades. 

The summer youth labor force participation rate peaked at 77.5 percent in July 1989. 

The July 2017 labor force participation rate for 16- to 24-year-old men, at 62.3 percent, continued to be 

higher than the rate for young women, at 58.8 percent. The rate for young women edged up from last 

July, while the rate for young men was essentially unchanged. Whites had the highest youth labor force 

participation rate in July 2017 at 62.1 percent. The rate was 55.9 percent for Blacks, 47.4 percent for 

Asians, and 56.6 percent for Hispanics. The rate for Asians increased by 4.3 percentage points from last 

July, while the rates for Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics showed little change. 
-2- 

Employment

In July 2017, there were 20.9 million employed 16- to 24-year-olds, slightly higher than the summer 

before. Between April and July 2017, the number of employed youth rose by 1.9 million, in line with the 

change between April and July 2016. The employment-population ratio for youth—the proportion of the 

16- to 24-year-old civilian noninstitutional population with a job—was 54.8 percent in July 2017, an 

increase of 1.6 percentage points from the prior year. (See tables 1 and 2.) 

The July 2017 employment-population ratios for young women (53.4 percent), Blacks (46.9 percent), 

and Asians (42.7 percent) increased over the year. The ratio for young men edged up to 56.1 percent. 

The ratios for young Whites (57.2 percent) and Hispanics (50.9 percent) were little different from the 

summer before. 

In July 2017, the largest percentage of employed youth worked in the leisure and hospitality industry 

(26 percent), which includes food services. An additional 19 percent of employed youth worked in the 

retail trade industry, and 12 percent worked in education and health services. (See table 3.) 

Unemployment

Unemployment among youth rose by 458,000 from April to July 2017, compared with an increase 

of 611,000 for the same period in 2016. 

In July 2017, the youth unemployment rate, at 9.6 percent, was 1.9 percentage points lower than last 

July. This represents the lowest summer youth unemployment rate since July 2000. The number of 

unemployed youth, at 2.2 million in July 2017, declined by 431,000 from a year earlier. Of the 2.2 

million unemployed 16- to 24-year-olds, 1.6 million were looking for full-time work in July 2017, 

down 305,000 from July 2016. (See tables 1 and 2.) 

In July 2017, the unemployment rates for both young men (10.1 percent) and women (9.1 percent) 

were lower than the summer before. The July 2017 rates for young Whites (8.0 percent) and Blacks 

(16.2 percent) declined over the year, while the rates for young Asians (9.9 percent) and Hispanics 

(10.1 percent) showed little change. (See table 2.) 
Technical Note 

The estimates in this release were obtained from the 

Current Population Survey (CPS), a national sample survey 

of about 60,000 eligible 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 website 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 of the estimates 

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 component of this difference that occurs 

because samples differ by chance is known as sampling 

error, and its 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. 

More information on the reliability of data from the 

CPS and estimating standard errors is available online at 

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

Definitions 

The principal definitions used in this release are 

described briefly below. 

Employed. 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 member’s business. 

Persons who were temporarily absent from their jobs 

because of illness, bad weather, vacation, labor dispute, or 

another reason also are counted as employed. 

Unemployed. The unemployed are those who had no 

employment during the reference week, were available for 

work at that time, and had made specific efforts to find 

employment sometime during the 4-week period ending with 

the reference week. 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. 

Looking for full-time work refers to 35 hours or more per 

week; part-time work refers to fewer than 35 hours per 

week. 

Civilian labor force. This group comprises all persons 

classified as employed or unemployed. 

Unemployment rate. The unemployment rate is the 

number of unemployed persons as a percent of the civilian 

labor force. 

Labor force participation rate. The labor force 

participation rate is the labor force as a percent of the 

population. 

Employment-population ratio. The employmentpopulation ratio is the employed as a percent of the 

population. 

Not in the labor force. Included in this group are all 

persons in the civilian noninstitutional population who are 

neither employed nor unemployed. 

Industry and class of worker. This information applies 

to the job held during the 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 

2012 Census industry classification system. The class-ofworker breakdown assigns workers to the following 

categories: Private and government wage and salary workers, 

unincorporated self-employed workers, and unpaid family 

workers. 

Wage and salary workers. Included in this group are 

persons who receive wages, salary, commissions, tips, or 

pay in kind from a private employer or from a government 

entity. 

Self-employed workers. Included in this group are those 

who work for profit or fees in their own unincorporated 

business, profession, trade, or farm. Only unincorporated 

self-employed are included in the self-employed category. 

Self-employed persons whose businesses are incorporated 

are included with private wage and salary workers. 

Unpaid family workers. Included in this group 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 2017

[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................................... 38,197 38,181 38,166 38,152 -45 -0.1

Civilian labor force.................................................. 20,708 20,899 22,720 23,107 2,399 11.6

Participation rate.................................................. 54.2 54.7 59.5 60.6 6.4 11.8

Employed.......................................................... 18,948 19,070 20,330 20,890 1,942 10.2

Employment-population ratio................................. 49.6 49.9 53.3 54.8 5.2 10.5

Unemployed....................................................... 1,759 1,829 2,389 2,217 458 26.0

Looking for full-time work..................................... 1,098 1,253 1,748 1,607 509 46.4

Looking for part-time work.................................... 662 576 641 610 -52 -7.9

Unemployment rate.............................................. 8.5 8.8 10.5 9.6 1.1 12.9

Not in labor force.................................................... 17,489 17,282 15,447 15,045 -2,444 -14.0

Men

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 19,247 19,237 19,228 19,219 -28 -0.1

Civilian labor force.................................................. 10,647 10,840 11,785 11,983 1,336 12.5

Participation rate.................................................. 55.3 56.3 61.3 62.3 7.0 12.7

Employed.......................................................... 9,633 9,790 10,447 10,773 1,140 11.8

Employment-population ratio................................. 50.0 50.9 54.3 56.1 6.1 12.2

Unemployed....................................................... 1,014 1,050 1,338 1,210 196 19.3

Looking for full-time work..................................... 700 755 1,028 944 244 34.9

Looking for part-time work.................................... 315 295 309 266 -49 -15.6

Unemployment rate.............................................. 9.5 9.7 11.4 10.1 0.6 6.3

Not in labor force.................................................... 8,600 8,397 7,444 7,236 -1,364 -15.9

Women

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 18,950 18,943 18,938 18,932 -18 -0.1

Civilian labor force.................................................. 10,060 10,059 10,935 11,124 1,064 10.6

Participation rate.................................................. 53.1 53.1 57.7 58.8 5.7 10.7

Employed.......................................................... 9,315 9,281 9,883 10,117 802 8.6

Employment-population ratio................................. 49.2 49.0 52.2 53.4 4.2 8.5

Unemployed....................................................... 745 778 1,051 1,007 262 35.2

Looking for full-time work..................................... 398 498 720 663 265 66.6

Looking for part-time work.................................... 347 281 332 344 -3 -0.9

Unemployment rate.............................................. 7.4 7.7 9.6 9.1 1.7 23.0

Not in labor force.................................................... 8,889 8,884 8,003 7,808 -1,081 -12.2

White

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 28,085 28,068 28,053 28,038 -47 -0.2

Civilian labor force.................................................. 15,708 15,773 17,218 17,423 1,715 10.9

Participation rate.................................................. 55.9 56.2 61.4 62.1 6.2 11.1

Employed.......................................................... 14,527 14,601 15,610 16,031 1,504 10.4

Employment-population ratio................................. 51.7 52.0 55.6 57.2 5.5 10.6

Unemployed....................................................... 1,181 1,172 1,608 1,392 211 17.9

Looking for full-time work..................................... 734 808 1,163 974 240 32.7

Looking for part-time work.................................... 447 364 446 418 -29 -6.5

Unemployment rate.............................................. 7.5 7.4 9.3 8.0 0.5 6.7

Not in labor force.................................................... 12,377 12,295 10,835 10,615 -1,762 -14.2

Black or African American

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 5,769 5,762 5,756 5,749 -20 -0.3

Civilian labor force.................................................. 2,953 3,033 3,170 3,214 261 8.8

Participation rate.................................................. 51.2 52.6 55.1 55.9 4.7 9.2

Employed.......................................................... 2,542 2,589 2,673 2,694 152 6.0

Employment-population ratio................................. 44.1 44.9 46.4 46.9 2.8 6.3

Unemployed....................................................... 411 444 497 520 109 26.5

Looking for full-time work..................................... 282 314 386 412 130 46.1

Looking for part-time work.................................... 129 130 112 108 -21 -16.3

Unemployment rate.............................................. 13.9 14.6 15.7 16.2 2.3 16.5

Not in labor force.................................................... 2,816 2,729 2,586 2,535 -281 -10.0
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 2017 — 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................................... 2,262 2,249 2,248 2,208 -54 -2.4

Civilian labor force.................................................. 881 909 973 1,047 166 18.8

Participation rate.................................................. 38.9 40.4 43.3 47.4 8.5 21.9

Employed.......................................................... 813 844 860 944 131 16.1

Employment-population ratio................................. 35.9 37.5 38.2 42.7 6.8 18.9

Unemployed....................................................... 68 65 114 103 35 51.5

Looking for full-time work..................................... 39 28 70 70 31 79.5

Looking for part-time work.................................... 30 38 44 33 3 10.0

Unemployment rate.............................................. 7.8 7.2 11.7 9.9 2.1 26.9

Not in labor force.................................................... 1,381 1,340 1,275 1,162 -219 -15.9

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population................................... 8,512 8,520 8,527 8,535 23 0.3

Civilian labor force.................................................. 4,440 4,561 4,676 4,835 395 8.9

Participation rate.................................................. 52.2 53.5 54.8 56.6 4.4 8.4

Employed.......................................................... 4,066 4,188 4,198 4,347 281 6.9

Employment-population ratio................................. 47.8 49.2 49.2 50.9 3.1 6.5

Unemployed....................................................... 374 373 478 488 114 30.5

Looking for full-time work..................................... 225 258 358 353 128 56.9

Looking for part-time work.................................... 149 115 120 135 -14 -9.4

Unemployment rate.............................................. 8.4 8.2 10.2 10.1 1.7 20.2

Not in labor force.................................................... 4,073 3,959 3,851 3,700 -373 -9.2

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 2014-2017

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

Employment status, sex, race, and

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

July

2014

July

2015

July

2016

July

2017

TOTAL

Civilian noninstitutional population...................................................... 38,735 38,589 38,450 38,152

Civilian labor force..................................................................... 23,437 23,162 23,104 23,107

Participation rate..................................................................... 60.5 60.0 60.1 60.6

Employed............................................................................. 20,085 20,333 20,456 20,890

Employment-population ratio.................................................... 51.9 52.7 53.2 54.8

Unemployed.......................................................................... 3,353 2,829 2,648 2,217

Looking for full-time work........................................................ 2,460 2,134 1,912 1,607

Looking for part-time work....................................................... 893 695 736 610

Unemployment rate................................................................. 14.3 12.2 11.5 9.6

Not in labor force....................................................................... 15,298 15,426 15,346 15,045

Men

Civilian noninstitutional population...................................................... 19,527 19,442 19,380 19,219

Civilian labor force..................................................................... 12,335 12,011 12,094 11,983

Participation rate..................................................................... 63.2 61.8 62.4 62.3

Employed............................................................................. 10,470 10,488 10,638 10,773

Employment-population ratio.................................................... 53.6 53.9 54.9 56.1

Unemployed.......................................................................... 1,865 1,523 1,455 1,210

Looking for full-time work........................................................ 1,437 1,195 1,169 944

Looking for part-time work....................................................... 428 328 286 266

Unemployment rate................................................................. 15.1 12.7 12.0 10.1

Not in labor force....................................................................... 7,191 7,431 7,287 7,236

Women

Civilian noninstitutional population...................................................... 19,208 19,147 19,069 18,932

Civilian labor force..................................................................... 11,102 11,151 11,010 11,124

Participation rate..................................................................... 57.8 58.2 57.7 58.8

Employed............................................................................. 9,614 9,846 9,818 10,117

Employment-population ratio.................................................... 50.1 51.4 51.5 53.4

Unemployed.......................................................................... 1,488 1,306 1,193 1,007

Looking for full-time work........................................................ 1,023 939 743 663

Looking for part-time work....................................................... 465 367 450 344

Unemployment rate................................................................. 13.4 11.7 10.8 9.1

Not in labor force....................................................................... 8,106 7,996 8,059 7,808

White

Civilian noninstitutional population...................................................... 28,718 28,488 28,297 28,038

Civilian labor force..................................................................... 18,137 17,735 17,734 17,423

Participation rate..................................................................... 63.2 62.3 62.7 62.1

Employed............................................................................. 15,917 15,903 15,981 16,031

Employment-population ratio.................................................... 55.4 55.8 56.5 57.2

Unemployed.......................................................................... 2,220 1,832 1,754 1,392

Looking for full-time work........................................................ 1,612 1,308 1,222 974

Looking for part-time work....................................................... 607 524 532 418

Unemployment rate................................................................. 12.2 10.3 9.9 8.0

Not in labor force....................................................................... 10,581 10,754 10,562 10,615

Black or African American

Civilian noninstitutional population...................................................... 5,973 5,916 5,850 5,749

Civilian labor force..................................................................... 3,160 3,337 3,149 3,214

Participation rate..................................................................... 52.9 56.4 53.8 55.9

Employed............................................................................. 2,376 2,645 2,499 2,694

Employment-population ratio.................................................... 39.8 44.7 42.7 46.9

Unemployed.......................................................................... 784 691 650 520

Looking for full-time work........................................................ 591 604 533 412

Looking for part-time work....................................................... 192 87 117 108

Unemployment rate................................................................. 24.8 20.7 20.6 16.2

Not in labor force....................................................................... 2,813 2,580 2,701 2,535
Table 2. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 to 24 years of age by sex, race, and

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, July 2014-2017 — Continued

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

Employment status, sex, race, and

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

July

2014

July

2015

July

2016

July

2017

Asian

Civilian noninstitutional population...................................................... 2,044 2,148 2,212 2,208

Civilian labor force..................................................................... 936 957 954 1,047

Participation rate..................................................................... 45.8 44.6 43.1 47.4

Employed............................................................................. 834 855 859 944

Employment-population ratio.................................................... 40.8 39.8 38.8 42.7

Unemployed.......................................................................... 102 102 95 103

Looking for full-time work........................................................ 70 68 65 70

Looking for part-time work....................................................... 32 34 30 33

Unemployment rate................................................................. 10.9 10.7 10.0 9.9

Not in labor force....................................................................... 1,109 1,191 1,258 1,162

Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Civilian noninstitutional population...................................................... 8,313 8,406 8,497 8,535

Civilian labor force..................................................................... 4,675 4,728 4,776 4,835

Participation rate..................................................................... 56.2 56.2 56.2 56.6

Employed............................................................................. 3,903 4,127 4,235 4,347

Employment-population ratio.................................................... 47.0 49.1 49.8 50.9

Unemployed.......................................................................... 772 601 540 488

Looking for full-time work........................................................ 560 458 385 353

Looking for part-time work....................................................... 212 143 155 135

Unemployment rate................................................................. 16.5 12.7 11.3 10.1

Not in labor force....................................................................... 3,637 3,679 3,721 3,700

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 2016-2017

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

Industry and class of worker

Total White Black or African

American Asian Hispanic or Latinoethnicity

July

2016

July

2017

July

2016

July

2017

July

2016

July

2017

July

2016

July

2017

July

2016

July

2017

Total employed.................................. 20,456 20,890 15,981 16,031 2,499 2,694 859 944 4,235 4,347

Agriculture and related industries.......... 320 336 302 306 5 14 4 3 74 105

Nonagricultural industries................... 20,136 20,555 15,678 15,724 2,493 2,680 855 940 4,162 4,242

Private wage and salary workers1

....... 18,359 18,794 14,314 14,395 2,245 2,449 774 862 3,893 3,992

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas

extraction.............................. 39 32 25 26 13 0 0 0 15 3

Construction............................. 991 1,061 934 965 24 44 8 9 304 368

Manufacturing........................... 1,408 1,361 1,092 1,062 172 161 71 72 261 273

Durable goods........................ 792 820 653 683 75 83 41 37 136 140

Nondurable goods.................... 616 540 439 380 97 79 30 35 124 134

Wholesale trade......................... 252 290 209 236 20 28 4 15 58 70

Retail trade.............................. 3,756 3,978 2,871 2,996 500 570 173 190 781 907

Transportation and utilities............. 434 595 278 380 100 157 30 17 81 144

Information............................... 278 305 237 199 20 46 20 31 59 57

Financial activities...................... 762 721 581 556 78 89 57 36 145 115

Professional and business services... 1,690 1,724 1,324 1,328 189 217 99 96 399 317

Education and health services........ 2,607 2,466 1,951 1,848 391 379 133 108 497 442

Leisure and hospitality................. 5,213 5,403 4,072 4,107 638 680 138 242 1,104 1,141

Other services........................... 929 858 741 691 98 78 40 46 190 155

Government wage and salary

workers................................... 1,395 1,491 1,042 1,096 221 210 68 72 177 213

Federal................................... 158 194 112 107 23 45 14 20 8 24

State...................................... 510 541 366 392 82 67 36 31 58 71

Local...................................... 728 756 563 597 116 98 18 20 111 118

Self-employed, unincorporated, and

unpaid family workers.................. 382 270 322 233 28 21 14 6 91 37

1

Includes self-employed workers whose businesses are incorporated.

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.