Youth unemployment stood at 9.7 percent in February 2025. Seasonal adjustment is a statistical method for removing the seasonal component of a time series that is used when analyzing non-seasonal trends. The unemployment rate by state can be found here, and the annual national unemployment rate can be found here. Youth unemployment in the United States The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics track unemployment of persons between the ages of 16 and 24 years each month. In analyzing the data, the Bureau of Labor Statistics performed a seasonal adjustment—removing seasonal influences from the time series, such that one month’s rate of unemployment could be analyzed in comparison with another month’s rate of unemployment. During the period in question, youth unemployment ranged from a high of 9.9 percent in April 2021, to a low of 6.5 percent in April 2023. The national youth unemployment rate can be compared to the monthly national unemployment rate in the United States, although youth unemployment tends to be much higher due to higher rates of participation in education. In May 2023, U.S. unemployment was at 3.7 percent, compared with 7.4 percent amongst those 16 to 24 years old. Additionally, as of May 2023, Nevada had the highest state unemployment rate of all U.S. states, at 5.4 percent.

Graph and download economic data for Youth Unemployment Rate for the United States (SLUEM1524ZSUSA) from 1991 to 2024 about 15 to 24 years, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Unemployment among teenagers (16 to 19 years) in the United States stood at 13.8 percent in October 2024. The unemployment rate for teenagers has typically been much higher than that of adults. Seasonal adjustment is a statistical method for removing the seasonal component of a time series that is used when analyzing non-seasonal trends. The general unemployment rate by state can be found here, and the annual national unemployment rate can be found here. Youth unemployment Youth unemployment, unlike teen unemployment, includes unemployed individuals aged 16 to 24. It includes many more individuals who have either just finished school or are graduated and looking for work. An unemployed person is someone who is laid off, fired or quits their work and is still looking for a job. Even in healthy economies, unemployment occurs. There are many reasons behind the unemployment of young people, for example: an educational system mismatched between academic education and needs in labor markets. As of 2020, the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector had the highest global youth unemployment rate at 28.9 percent.

Youth Unemployment Rate in the United States increased to 10 percent in June from 9.70 percent in May of 2025. This dataset provides - United States Youth Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - 16-19 Yrs. (LNS14000012) from Jan 1948 to May 2025 about 16 to 19 years, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

The average for 2023 based on 12 countries was 16.63 percent. The highest value was in Uruguay: 26.16 percent and the lowest value was in Bolivia: 5.26 percent. The indicator is available from 1991 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The youth unemployment rate in the United States increased by 1.4 percentage points (+17.61 percent) in 2024 in comparison to the previous year. In total, the youth unemployment rate amounted to 9.39 percent in 2024. This increase was preceded by a declining youth unemployment rate.The youth unemployment rate refers to the share of the economically active population aged 15 to 24 currently without work but in search of employment. The youth unemployment rate does not include economically inactive persons such as the long-term unemployed or full-time students.Find more key insights for the youth unemployment rate in countries like Mexico and Canada.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - 16-24 Yrs. (LNS14024887) from Jan 1948 to Jun 2025 about 16 to 24 years, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Historical dataset showing North America youth unemployment rate by year from 1991 to 2024.

From 2000 until 2019, youth unemployment fluctuated between 13 and 15.5 percent, before it rose above 17 percent in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Youth unemployment Just like the general unemployment rate, youth unemployment is recorded and monitored to gauge the job market situation in a country and worldwide. Youth unemployment includes unemployed individuals aged 15 to 24, typically referring to those who have either just finished school or graduated and are looking for jobs. In order to be registered as unemployed, a person must be able to work, unemployed, and looking for a job. Usually youth unemployment is higher than adult unemployment, as many graduates do not find employment right after they have graduated. Regional breakdown The world region with the highest youth unemployment rate has been the Arab World for the past two decades, while East Asia and the Pacific has generally had the lowest rate. Apart from the sharp rise in 2020, the most notable increase came in 2009 as a result of the Great Recession; while this increase can be observed on a global scale, its impact on youth unemployment was more severely felt in more advanced economies in Europe and North America.

The unemployment rate for people ages 16 to 24 in the United States in 202024 23 was 10 percent. However, this rate was much lower for people aged 45 and over, at 2.9 percent. U.S. unemployment The unemployment rate in the United States varies based on several factors, such as race, gender, and level of education. Black and African-American individuals had the highest unemployment rate in 2021 out of any ethnicity, and people who had less than a high school diploma had the highest unemployment rate by education level. Alaska is consistently the state with the highest unemployment rate, although the El Centro, California metropolitan area was the area with the highest unemployment rate in the country in 2019. Additionally, in August 2022, farming, fishing, and forestry occupations had the highest unemployment rate in the United States Unemployment rate The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is the agency that researches and calculates the unemployment rate in the United States. Unemployment rises during recessions, which causes the cost of social welfare programs to increase. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says unemployed people are those who are jobless, have looked for employment within the last four weeks, and are free to work.

Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) (modeled ILO estimate) in North America was reported at 8.0911 % in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. North America - Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Historical chart and dataset showing North America youth unemployment rate by year from 1991 to 2024.

Historical dataset showing Latin America & Caribbean youth unemployment rate by year from 1991 to 2024.

This statistic displays the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate among persons between 16 and 24 years in the United States in 2012, by state. In California, youth unemployment stood at 20.2 percent in 2012.

The general unemployment rate by state can be found here, the annual national unemployment rate can be found here.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - 16-19 Yrs., Black or African American (LNS14000018) from Jan 1972 to Jun 2025 about 16 to 19 years, African-American, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

This dataset provides values for YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE.439 reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

Historical chart and dataset showing Latin America & Caribbean youth unemployment rate by year from 1991 to 2024.

United States US: Unemployment: National Estimate: Youth Male: % of Male Labour Force Aged 15-24 data was reported at 10.320 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 11.440 % for 2016. United States US: Unemployment: National Estimate: Youth Male: % of Male Labour Force Aged 15-24 data is updated yearly, averaging 12.550 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 20.820 % in 2010 and a record low of 7.680 % in 1966. United States US: Unemployment: National Estimate: Youth Male: % of Male Labour Force Aged 15-24 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Employment and Unemployment. Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in November 2017.; Weighted Average; The series for ILO estimates is also available in the WDI database. Caution should be used when comparing ILO estimates with national estimates.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - 16-19 Yrs., White (LNS14000015) from Jan 1954 to May 2025 about 16 to 19 years, white, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.