Teen Unemployment Rises to 14.7% as Summer Job Openings Keep Shrinking

3 articles · Updated · WTVD-TV · Jun 8

U.S. unemployment for 16-to-19-year-olds climbed to 14.7% in May 2026 from 13.4% a year earlier, even as the broader labor market posted a solid May jobs report.
Longer-term hiring has weakened: Challenger, Gray & Christmas said teen summer job growth has fallen from more than 2 million in 1999 to just over 800,000 last year, with further declines projected.
Raleigh ice cream chain FRESH Local still drew more than 800 applications this summer and hired about 15 workers per store, showing how competition has intensified for the remaining seasonal roles.
Jason Hillman, whose company has hired roughly 1,000 teenagers over 15 years, said high school workers remain valuable for businesses and for building communication and work-discipline skills.