Colorado Teen Summer Hiring Falls to 790,000, Worst Since 1948

1 articles · Updated · The Colorado Sun · Jun 6

790,000 teens are expected to be hired for summer jobs in 2026, making this the weakest teen summer job market since records began in 1948 and less than half the 2019 level.
39.1% of Colorado 16- to 19-year-olds are working or looking for work this year, down from above 50% in the early 2000s, as high gas prices, inflation and a broader weak labor market curb hiring.
1,629 employers have joined Colorado’s Governor’s Summer Job Hunt so far—about 20% fewer than last year—even as 38,723 job seekers ages 16 to 24 have registered, a three-year high.
March and April are now the key hiring months, workforce officials said, while automation and employers’ preference for longer-term, more experienced staff have reduced traditional teen openings such as fast-food counter jobs.
Denver-area groups including GlobalMindED and local workforce centers are pushing job fairs, networking and soft-skills training as more teens turn to gig work like babysitting, lawn mowing and tutoring.