Teen Summer Employment Falls to 5.19 Million as Seasonal Hiring Hits Record Low

6 articles · Updated · abcnews.com · May 28

5.19 million U.S. teens ages 16 to 19 were employed in April, down from 5.48 million a year earlier, extending a sharp slowdown in summer job opportunities.
801,000 jobs were added for teens between April and July 2025 — the smallest increase in that period since records began in 1948 — signaling employers are hiring fewer seasonal workers.
33.8% of teens were in the labor force in April and 29.5% were employed, with experts pointing to automation, leaner staffing and higher expectations for entry-level applicants.
20 applications was what one 17-year-old said it took to land a part-time restaurant job, reflecting a shift from walk-in hiring to online portals and more competition.
Chris Greene of YoPro said teens can still build workplace skills through volunteering, freelancing, internships or small business projects as traditional summer jobs become harder to secure.

Is the death of the teen summer job a crisis, or an evolution toward a new kind of work?

As AI takes entry-level tasks, what uniquely human skills must teens master to secure their future careers?

Are companies sacrificing their own future leaders for short-term efficiency gains by automating entry-level roles?