US Teen Summer Employment Rebounds to 35.5% in 2026, Still Far Below 58% Peak
Updated
Updated · Voz Media · Aug 23
US Teen Summer Employment Rebounds to 35.5% in 2026, Still Far Below 58% Peak
1 articles · Updated · Voz Media · Aug 23
Summary
35.5% of U.S. teens ages 16 to 19 held summer jobs in 2026, roughly steady after a post-pandemic rebound and near the post-recession high reached in 2023.
Pew said summer teen employment remains well below the pre-2001 norm because fewer entry-level seasonal jobs are available, summer breaks are shorter, and more teens choose classes, volunteering or unpaid internships.
29.6% marked the modern low in 2010 and 2011 after the Great Recession; from 1948 to 2000, teen summer employment topped 50% in 44 of 53 summers and hit 58% in 1978.
32% of employed teens—about 2 million—worked in accommodation and food this summer, while 21% or 1.3 million worked in retail, which Pew said is set for its first post-pandemic increase.
29.1% of Hispanic teens were employed in July 2026, trailing white teens, while Black teens ranked third and briefly surpassed Hispanics in July 2026 and December 2025.