Posted by Terrence M. Isert,  July 3, 2018

With summer in full swing in the northern hemisphere, it’s time to take a look at some summer jobs data for teenagers. Summer jobs are typically a staple of the youth experience for a majority of the 16-19 year olds in the US. However, since 2000 the number of teens working summer jobs has dropped and the types of jobs worked has changed. According to a Pew Research study, prior to this period teen employment ranged between 46% (a low in 1963) and 58% (a high point in 1978) as tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Summer months, particularly July map what should have been a typical surge in teen employment. Jobs typically were in outdoor employment such as lifeguards, local businesses or retail which have shifted heavily towards accommodations, food service, and retail. Teen employment rates dropped precipitously from a more or less stable 50% in the 90s decade to about 30% in 2010 after the 2001 recession and the 2007-2009 financial crisis.  The report also cites a more ominous trend: the continued overall decline in teen employment seen worldwide in advanced economies which may be due to less supply of entry-level jobs, higher summer academic demands, longer school years or unpaid internships. Read more here.