Catherwood LibraryILR School

Employment figures for teens did not mirror the general trend of growth seen in the rest of the economy according to the May jobs report. Data from the Labor Department revealed that teen unemployment was 24.5% in May, with one in four job seeking teens idle. Although figures for this demographic are usually greater than the national average, the numbers for May were exceptionally high as teens are increasingly in competition with people in their early to mid-20s for low-level jobs. Fewer teens are actively seeking paid work as more choose to devote their summers to unpaid internships, summer school, and volunteer opportunities.