Teen Unemployment Continues to Rise

EPI Finds Seven States and D.C. Averaging Above 30 Percent; Third Summer in a Row with Teen Unemployment Above 20 Percent Nationwide
  • Publication Date: July 2011

  • Topics: Teen Unemployment

An analysis of recently-released Census Bureau data by the Employment Policies Institute (EPI) shows teen unemployment continues to rise. As of May 2011, teen unemployment in seven states and the District of Columbia was still averaging over 30 percent.

New jobs numbers released today show that teen unemployment nationwide rose in June to 24.5 percent, up from 24.2 percent in May. There were 47,000 more unemployed teens in June than in May.

“We’re in the midst of the third summer in a row where teen unemployment has been above 20 percent. This month’s teen unemployment rate is essentially the same as it was in June of 2009,” said Michael Saltsman, research fellow at the Employment Policies Institute.

“Young people are facing more competition for fewer jobs, a lingering consequence of the recession and wage mandates that have eliminated entry-level opportunities,” Saltsman concluded. “The consequences for this generation of young people missing out on their first job are severe, including an increased risk of earning low wages and being unemployed again in future years.”

State Unemployment for 16-19 year-olds, May 2011
12-month average calculated with Census Bureau data

Rank – State – Teen Unemployment Rate – Teen Unemployment + Discouraged Teen Job Seekers

** – District of Columbia – 49.0% – 52.2%

1 – California – 34.6% – 36.2%

2 – Georgia – 34.6% – 35.7%

3 – Nevada – 34.3% – 36.4%

4 – Washington – 33.2% – 34.2%

5 – North Carolina – 32.1% – 33.4%

6 – Idaho – 31.8% – 33.1%

7 – West Virginia – 30.2% – 32.9%

8 – Missouri – 29.6% – 31.2%

9 – Florida – 29.4% – 31.4%

10 – Kentucky – 29.0% – 30.3%

11 – South Carolina – 28.5% – 29.0%

12 – Rhode Island – 28.0% – 29.6%

13 – Michigan – 27.6% – 29.1%

14 – Mississippi – 27.5% – 30.7%

15 – Tennessee – 26.9% – 27.4%

16 – Arizona – 26.7% – 28.2%

17 – Arkansas – 26.2% – 27.1%

18 – Colorado – 26.1% – 26.7%

19 – Illinois – 26.1% – 27.5%

20 – Oregon – 25.8% – 26.4%

Technical note: The unemployment rate in the first column is calculated as the number of unemployed teens over the teen labor force. In the second column, the number of discouraged teen workers is added to the unemployed and the labor force.