Technical information:      (202 691-6378      USDL 05-1565
                  http://www.bls.gov/cps/
                                               For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                   691-5902      Friday, August 19, 2005


            EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG YOUTH--SUMMER 2005


   The number of employed youth 16 to 24 years old increased by 2.7 million
to 21.7 million from April to July 2005, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of
the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  July is the traditional
summertime peak for youth employment.  This summer's increase in youth
employment was slightly larger than last year's 2.3 million increase.
Unemployment among youth rose by 290,000 between April and July 2005,
compared with an increase of 631,000 from April to July 2004.  (Because
this analysis focuses on the seasonal changes in youth employment and
unemployment that occur every 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 take or search
for summer jobs, and many graduates enter the labor market to look for or
to begin permanent employment.  This summer, the youth labor force grew by
3.0 million to a total of 24.4 million in July.  (See table 1.)

   The July labor force participation rate for youth (the proportion of
their population working or looking for work) was 66.6 percent in 2005.
The July participation rate for youth has been trending down since the
early 1990s.  The 2005 rate was the lowest for July since 1965.  The labor
force participation rate for young men in July 2005, 69.6 percent, edged
lower from a year earlier when it was 70.4 percent.  This July's labor
force participation rates for young women (63.6 percent), whites (69.0
percent), blacks (58.3 percent), Hispanics or Latinos (60.0 percent) and
Asians (53.1 percent) were little changed over the year.  (See table 2.)

   The proportion of 16- to 24-year-olds enrolled in school in July 2005
(27.8 percent) decreased slightly from July 2004 (28.9 percent).  The
proportion of 16- to 24-year-olds enrolled in school in July has grown over
the last decade from 16.6 percent in July 1995 to 27.8 percent in July
2005.   Only about half of the youth enrolled in school were in the labor
force in July, compared with about three-fourths of those not in school.

Employment

   There were 21.7 million 16- to 24-year-olds employed in July 2005, an
increase of 302,000 from July 2004.  The employment-population ratio for
youth--the proportion of the 16- to 24-year-old civilian noninstitutional
population that was employed--was 59.3 percent in July 2005.  The ratio had
fallen by 6.9 percentage points between July 1999 and July 2003 before
edging up in the past two summers.  The employment-population ratios for
young men (61.6 percent), women (57.0 percent), whites (62.8 percent),
blacks (44.7 percent), Asians (46.7 percent), and Hispanics or Latinos
(54.1 percent) were little changed from a year earlier.

   In July 2005, 22 percent of employed youth worked in the leisure and
hospitality industry and 20 percent worked in retail trade.   In addition,
large percentages of employed youth worked in education and health services,
professional and business services, construction, and manufacturing.  (See
table 3.)

                                  - 2 -

Unemployment

   In July 2005, 2.7 million youth were unemployed; this was a decrease of
330,000 from a year earlier.  The youth unemployment rate, 11.0 percent, was
down from 12.3 percent in July 2004.  The unemployment rate for young men
was little changed over the year at 11.5 percent, while the rate for young
women decreased by 2.2 percentage points to 10.5 percent.  The jobless rates
for young whites, blacks, and Hispanics or Latinos decreased over the year.
(See table 2.)
                                  - 3 -

Technical Note


   The estimates in this release were obtained from the Current Population
Survey (CPS), a national sample survey of 60,000 households conducted month-
ly 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 tran-
sition from school to work.  July is the peak summer month of youth employment.   

   Beginning in January 2005, data reflect revised population controls used
in the CPS.  For a discussion of the introduction of the revised population
controls and the impact that their introduction had on the CPS data, see
"Adjustments to Household Survey Population Estimates in January 2005" in
the February 2005 issue of Employment Earnings, available at
http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps05adj.pdf on the BLS Web site.

   Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request.  Voice phone:  202-691-5200; TDD message referral
phone: 1-800-877-8339.
   
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 de-
pending 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 infor-
mation, and errors made in the collection or processing of the data.
   
   For a full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS and infor-
mation on estimating standard errors, see the "Explanatory Notes and Esti-
mates of Error" section of Employment and Earnings.
   
Definitions
   
   The principal definitions used in this release are described briefly
below.
   
   Employed persons are (a) all those who, during the survey reference
week, did any work at all as paid employees, worked in their own business,
profession, or on their own farm, or who worked 15 hours or more as unpaid
workers in a family-operated enterprise; and (b) all those who did not work
but had jobs or businesses from which they were temporarily absent due to
illness, bad weather, vacation, child-care problems, labor disputes or per-
sonal reasons, whether or not they were paid by their employers for the
time off and whether or not they were seeking other jobs.
   
   Unemployed persons are all persons who had no employment during the ref-
erence 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.

                                  - 4 -
   
   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.  In terms of
class-of-worker categories, wage and salary workers are those who receive
wages, salaries, 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, or trade, or operate a
farm; and unpaid family workers are persons working without pay for 15
hours a week or more in an enterprise operated by a member of their family.
 
 
 
 

       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 2005

       (Numbers in thousands. Data are not seasonally adjusted.)
                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                 April-July   
                      Employment status, sex, race, and                                                          changes(1)    
                         Hispanic or Latino ethnicity                      April     May     June     July                    
                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                              Number   Percent
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
                                     TOTAL                                                                                    
                                                                                                                              
       Civilian noninstitutional population.............................   36,601   36,627   36,654   36,681       79      0.2
         Civilian labor force...........................................   21,468   21,976   23,959   24,436    2,968     13.8
               Participation rate.......................................     58.7     60.0     65.4     66.6      8.0     13.6
           Employed.....................................................   19,071   19,356   20,949   21,749    2,678     14.0
               Employment-population ratio..............................     52.1     52.8     57.2     59.3      7.2     13.8
           Unemployed...................................................    2,398    2,619    3,010    2,688      290     12.1
               Looking for full-time work...............................    1,591    1,780    2,155    1,916      325     20.4
               Looking for part-time work...............................      807      839      855      771      -35     -4.4
               Unemployment rate........................................     11.2     11.9     12.6     11.0      -.2     -1.5
         Not in labor force.............................................   15,133   14,651   12,695   12,244   -2,889    -19.1
                                                                                                                              
                                      Men                                                                                     
                                                                                                                              
       Civilian noninstitutional population.............................   18,456   18,471   18,486   18,501       45       .2
         Civilian labor force...........................................   11,182   11,431   12,634   12,871    1,689     15.1
               Participation rate.......................................     60.6     61.9     68.3     69.6      9.0     14.8
           Employed.....................................................    9,783   10,015   10,956   11,393    1,609     16.4
               Employment-population ratio..............................     53.0     54.2     59.3     61.6      8.6     16.2
           Unemployed...................................................    1,398    1,416    1,677    1,478       80      5.7
               Looking for full-time work...............................      960      987    1,196    1,077      117     12.2
               Looking for part-time work...............................      438      429      481      401      -37     -8.5
               Unemployment rate........................................     12.5     12.4     13.3     11.5     -1.0     -8.2
         Not in labor force.............................................    7,275    7,040    5,852    5,630   -1,645    -22.6
                                                                                                                              
                                     Women                                                                                    
                                                                                                                              
       Civilian noninstitutional population.............................   18,145   18,156   18,168   18,180       35       .2
         Civilian labor force...........................................   10,287   10,545   11,325   11,566    1,279     12.4
               Participation rate.......................................     56.7     58.1     62.3     63.6      6.9     12.2
           Employed.....................................................    9,287    9,342    9,993   10,356    1,069     11.5
               Employment-population ratio..............................     51.2     51.5     55.0     57.0      5.8     11.3
           Unemployed...................................................    1,000    1,203    1,333    1,209      210     21.0
               Looking for full-time work...............................      631      793      959      839      208     33.0
               Looking for part-time work...............................      368      410      374      370        2       .5
               Unemployment rate........................................      9.7     11.4     11.8     10.5       .7      7.6
         Not in labor force.............................................    7,858    7,611    6,842    6,614   -1,244    -15.8
                                                                                                                              
                                     White                                                                                    
                                                                                                                              
       Civilian noninstitutional population.............................   28,517   28,532   28,549   28,566       49       .2
         Civilian labor force...........................................   17,380   17,743   19,360   19,712    2,331     13.4
               Participation rate.......................................     60.9     62.2     67.8     69.0      8.1     13.2
           Employed.....................................................   15,723   15,986   17,360   17,944    2,221     14.1
               Employment-population ratio..............................     55.1     56.0     60.8     62.8      7.7     13.9
           Unemployed...................................................    1,658    1,758    2,000    1,768      110      6.6
               Looking for full-time work...............................    1,038    1,157    1,374    1,234      197     18.9
               Looking for part-time work...............................      620      600      626      533      -87    -14.0
               Unemployment rate........................................      9.5      9.9     10.3      9.0      -.6     -6.0
         Not in labor force.............................................   11,137   10,789    9,189    8,854   -2,283    -20.5
                                                                                                                              
                           Black or African American                                                                          
                                                                                                                              
       Civilian noninstitutional population.............................    5,296    5,303    5,310    5,317       21       .4
         Civilian labor force...........................................    2,666    2,801    3,064    3,097      432     16.2
               Participation rate.......................................     50.3     52.8     57.7     58.3      7.9     15.7
           Employed.....................................................    2,090    2,115    2,260    2,378      288     13.8
               Employment-population ratio..............................     39.5     39.9     42.6     44.7      5.3     13.3
           Unemployed...................................................      575      687      804      719      144     25.0
               Looking for full-time work...............................      443      501      626      544      100     22.6
               Looking for part-time work...............................      132      186      178      176       44     33.1
               Unemployment rate........................................     21.6     24.5     26.2     23.2      1.6      7.6
         Not in labor force.............................................    2,631    2,502    2,246    2,220     -411    -15.6
                                                                                                                              
                                     Asian                                                                                    
                                                                                                                              
       Civilian noninstitutional population.............................    1,467    1,472    1,503    1,497       30      2.1
         Civilian labor force...........................................      640      652      702      794      154     24.1
               Participation rate.......................................     43.7     44.3     46.7     53.1      9.4     21.6
           Employed.....................................................      601      591      628      699       98     16.3
               Employment-population ratio..............................     41.0     40.2     41.8     46.7      5.7     14.0
           Unemployed...................................................       39       61       74       95       56    143.6
               Looking for full-time work...............................       25       46       46       58       33    132.7
               Looking for part-time work...............................       14       15       28       38       23    162.5
               Unemployment rate........................................      6.1      9.4     10.5     12.0      5.9     96.3
         Not in labor force.............................................      826      819      801      702     -124    -15.0
                                                                                                                              
                         Hispanic or Latino ethnicity                                                                         
                                                                                                                              
       Civilian noninstitutional population.............................    6,314    6,321    6,328    6,335       21       .3
         Civilian labor force...........................................    3,651    3,649    3,806    3,800      149      4.1
               Participation rate.......................................     57.8     57.7     60.1     60.0      2.2      3.7
           Employed.....................................................    3,226    3,276    3,412    3,428      202      6.3
               Employment-population ratio..............................     51.1     51.8     53.9     54.1      3.0      5.9
           Unemployed...................................................      425      373      394      372      -53    -12.5
               Looking for full-time work...............................      304      256      292      292      -12     -3.8
               Looking for part-time work...............................      122      117      102       80      -42    -34.3
               Unemployment rate........................................     11.6     10.2     10.3      9.8     -1.9    -16.0
         Not in labor force.............................................    2,664    2,672    2,523    2,536     -128     -4.8

         1 Changes are calculated using unrounded data.
         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.  In addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino
       may be of any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race.  Data reflect revised population
       controls introduced in January 2005.
 




       Table 2.  Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 to 24 years of age by sex, race, and 
       Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, July 2002-05

       (Numbers in thousands. Data are not seasonally adjusted.)
                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                        
                      Employment status, sex, race, and                      2002        2003        2004        2005   
                         Hispanic or Latino ethnicity                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
                                     TOTAL                                                                              
                                                                                                                        
       Civilian noninstitutional population.............................    35,322      35,905      36,415      36,681  
         Civilian labor force...........................................    24,536      24,150      24,465      24,436  
               Participation rate.......................................      69.5        67.3        67.2        66.6  
           Employed.....................................................    21,501      20,950      21,447      21,749  
               Employment-population ratio..............................      60.9        58.3        58.9        59.3  
           Unemployed...................................................     3,034       3,200       3,018       2,688  
               Looking for full-time work...............................     2,250       2,448       2,212       1,916  
               Looking for part-time work...............................       785         753         806         771  
               Unemployment rate........................................      12.4        13.3        12.3        11.0  
         Not in labor force.............................................    10,786      11,755      11,950      12,244  
                                                                                                                        
                                      Men                                                                               
                                                                                                                        
       Civilian noninstitutional population.............................    17,758      18,042      18,356      18,501  
         Civilian labor force...........................................    12,837      12,635      12,925      12,871  
               Participation rate.......................................      72.3        70.0        70.4        69.6  
           Employed.....................................................    11,231      10,838      11,373      11,393  
               Employment-population ratio..............................      63.2        60.1        62.0        61.6  
           Unemployed...................................................     1,606       1,796       1,552       1,478  
               Looking for full-time work...............................     1,172       1,416       1,176       1,077  
               Looking for part-time work...............................       434         381         377         401  
               Unemployment rate........................................      12.5        14.2        12.0        11.5  
         Not in labor force.............................................     4,921       5,407       5,431       5,630  
                                                                                                                        
                                     Women                                                                              
                                                                                                                        
       Civilian noninstitutional population.............................    17,563      17,863      18,059      18,180  
         Civilian labor force...........................................    11,699      11,516      11,540      11,566  
               Participation rate.......................................      66.6        64.5        63.9        63.6  
           Employed.....................................................    10,271      10,112      10,074      10,356  
               Employment-population ratio..............................      58.5        56.6        55.8        57.0  
           Unemployed...................................................     1,428       1,404       1,465       1,209  
               Looking for full-time work...............................     1,077       1,032       1,036         839  
               Looking for part-time work...............................       351         372         429         370  
               Unemployment rate........................................      12.2        12.2        12.7        10.5  
         Not in labor force.............................................     5,865       6,348       6,519       6,614                                                                                                                         

                                    White (1)                                                                             
                                                                                                                        
       Civilian noninstitutional population.............................    27,959      28,066      28,410      28,566  
         Civilian labor force...........................................    20,262      19,749      19,859      19,712  
               Participation rate.......................................      72.5        70.4        69.9        69.0  
           Employed.....................................................    18,092      17,566      17,848      17,944  
               Employment-population ratio..............................      64.7        62.6        62.8        62.8  
           Unemployed...................................................     2,169       2,182       2,011       1,768  
               Looking for full-time work...............................     1,566       1,611       1,406       1,234  
               Looking for part-time work...............................       604         571         605         533  
               Unemployment rate........................................      10.7        11.1        10.1         9.0  
         Not in labor force.............................................     7,697       8,317       8,551       8,854  
                                                                                                                        
                          Black or African American (1)                                                                   
                                                                                                                        
       Civilian noninstitutional population.............................     5,199       5,159       5,245       5,317  
         Civilian labor force...........................................     2,989       2,930       3,029       3,097  
               Participation rate.......................................      57.5        56.8        57.7        58.3  
           Employed.....................................................     2,319       2,150       2,224       2,378  
               Employment-population ratio..............................      44.6        41.7        42.4        44.7  
           Unemployed...................................................       670         780         804         719  
               Looking for full-time work...............................       549         655         666         544  
               Looking for part-time work...............................       121         125         138         176  
               Unemployment rate........................................      22.4        26.6        26.6        23.2  
         Not in labor force.............................................     2,211       2,229       2,216       2,220  
                                                                                                                        
                                      Asian (1)                                                                         
                                                                                                                        
       Civilian noninstitutional population.............................     1,724       1,464       1,503       1,497  
         Civilian labor force...........................................       966         740         786         794  
               Participation rate.......................................      56.0        50.5        52.3        53.1  
           Employed.....................................................       815         642         719         699  
               Employment-population ratio..............................      47.3        43.8        47.8        46.7  
           Unemployed...................................................       151          98          68          95  
               Looking for full-time work...............................        97          63          46          58  
               Looking for part-time work...............................        54          34          22          38  
               Unemployment rate........................................      15.6        13.2         8.6        12.0  
         Not in labor force.............................................       758         724         716         702  
                                                                                                                        
                         Hispanic or Latino ethnicity                                                                   
                                                                                                                        
       Civilian noninstitutional population.............................     6,004       6,079       6,275       6,335  
         Civilian labor force...........................................     3,900       3,772       3,926       3,800  
               Participation rate.......................................      65.0        62.0        62.6        60.0  
           Employed.....................................................     3,390       3,244       3,428       3,428  
               Employment-population ratio..............................      56.5        53.4        54.6        54.1  
           Unemployed...................................................       510         528         498         372  
               Looking for full-time work...............................       419         406         373         292  
               Looking for part-time work...............................        91         121         125          80  
               Unemployment rate........................................      13.1        14.0        12.7         9.8  
         Not in labor force.............................................     2,104       2,307       2,349       2,536  

         1 Beginning in 2003, persons who selected this race group only; persons who selected more than one race group
       are not included.  Prior to 2003, persons who reported more than one race group were included in the group they
       identified as the main race.  Also, beginning in 2003, Asians exclude Pacific Islanders.
         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.  In addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or
       Latino may be of any race and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race.  Data for 2003, 2004,
       and 2005 reflect revised population controls introduced in January 2003, January 2004, and January 2005.
 





       Table 3.  Employed persons 16 to 24 years of age by industry, class of worker, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity,     
       July 2004-05

       (Numbers in thousands. Data are not seasonally adjusted.)
                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                         
                                                      Total             White        Black or African       Asian          Hispanic or   
                                                                                         American                        Latino ethnicity
             Industry and class of worker                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                         
                                                    2004     2005     2004     2005     2004     2005     2004     2005     2004     2005  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
       Total employed..........................   21,447   21,749   17,848   17,944    2,224    2,378      719      699    3,428    3,428
                                                                                                                                         
         Agriculture and related industries....      338      341      318      320        6       11       -        -        86       80
         Nonagricultural industries............   21,110   21,407   17,530   17,624    2,218    2,367      718      699    3,343    3,347
           Private wage and salary workers.....   19,188   19,410   15,997   16,066    1,959    2,066      634      642    3,115    3,102
             Mining............................       41       57       41       43       -        11       -         2        7       19
             Construction......................    1,543    1,551    1,378    1,406       75       91       14        7      463      453
             Manufacturing.....................    1,515    1,423    1,257    1,166      107      171      103       27      331      298
               Durable goods...................      954      853      829      736       39       70       49       14      167      179
               Nondurable goods................      562      570      428      429       68      100       54       14      164      119
             Wholesale trade...................      452      414      381      342       45       33       13       19       66       71
             Retail trade......................    4,140    4,384    3,386    3,590      482      498      153      138      526      564
             Transportation and utilities......      503      510      383      412       94       68       13        5       92       70
             Information.......................      353      422      288      333       42       61        4       15       45       49
             Financial activities..............    1,052    1,142      896      954      112       96       25       59      163      210
             Professional and business                                                                                                   
               services........................    1,701    1,563    1,424    1,245      179      215       44       62      302      262
             Education and health services.....    2,110    2,072    1,688    1,646      268      295       81       91      306      229
             Leisure and hospitality...........    4,703    4,770    3,980    3,979      445      455      145      167      703      694
             Other services....................    1,075    1,103      897      951      110       72       39       50      111      183
                                                                                                                                         
           Government..........................    1,434    1,577    1,089    1,186      236      286       75       37      136      159
             Federal...........................      189      230      138      166       40       49        3        5       11       19
             State.............................      445      470      329      342       76       97       37       27       54       37
             Local.............................      799      877      621      678      120      140       36        5       71      103
                                                                                                                                         
           Self-employed and unpaid family                                                                                               
             workers...........................      488      420      444      372       23       15        9       20       91       87

         - Dash represents or rounds to zero.
         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.  In addition, persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race and,
       therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race.  Data for 2004 and 2005 reflect revised population controls introduced
       in January 2004 and January 2005.