Fewer teens are working this year, and employers added the lowest total of teen jobs for the summer months since 2010.
The findings come from an Aug. 15 report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a global outplacement and business and executive coaching firm. The report is based on an analysis of the latest non-seasonally adjusted figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
This summer, employers added just over 1 million jobs for workers aged 16 to 19, the analysis found. This marks a 17 percent decline from the 1.2 million added in summer 2022 and is the lowest total for the summer months since 2010, when 960,000 teen jobs were added.
The analysis also found that the number of employed teens has dipped slightly compared to this point last year. In July, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 6.5 million teens were employed, down 0.2 percent from the 6.6 million who were employed in July 2022.
"There are some reasons fewer teens are working and employers added fewer teen jobs, even with high demand and strong consumer spending. Retail and hospitality, industries that historically rely heavily on teen employment, may be employing new technologies that allow employers to 'do more with less,'" Andrew Challenger, senior vice president of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, said in the report.
"Wages are also higher, which may limit the number of hires. Generally though, teens are working," he added.
In healthcare, hospitals and health systems have hired teens in various job categories. The tactic has been among several tools being used to fill staffing gaps, including sign-on bonuses and bringing in new graduates from colleges with healthcare programs.