For generations, a summer job was one of the first milestones of adulthood in America. This year, that tradition is becoming increasingly difficult to access.
Teen summer employment in the United States is projected to hit its lowest level since official records began in 1948, according to labour market forecasts, as employers scale back entry-level hiring and favour more experienced workers.
The trend is leaving thousands of teenagers facing a frustrating reality, despite strong academic records and a willingness to work. Across the country, young job seekers report submitting dozens of applications with little success, forcing many to rethink how they will spend their summer and how they will finance everyday expenses.
The deterioration of opportunities at the bottom of the employment ladder reflects broader changes in the US labour market that extend beyond a single summer season.
Employers Are Reducing Traditional Entry-Level Roles
Seventeen-year-old Jaelyn Chester from Lake Mary, Florida, represents a growing number of teenagers struggling to secure their first job.
Despite being an A+ student, a basketball player and an aspiring engineer, she has submitted dozens of applications without receiving an offer. She now carries printed copies of her résumé in her car and has memorised a short introduction to use when approaching managers in person.
The challenge is widespread. Federal data show around one-third of Americans aged 16 to 19 held jobs last summer, significantly below the roughly 60% participation rate recorded in the late 1970s.
Research by outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas found teenage employment fell by 25% last summer compared with the previous year. The firm expects conditions to worsen in 2026 due to inflationary pressures, elevated energy costs and cautious recruitment strategies.
Many teenagers are now competing directly against older workers for a shrinking pool of entry-level positions.
Jaune Little, director of recruiting services at human resources company Insperity, says businesses have streamlined staffing models and eliminated many positions that once served as entry points for inexperienced workers.
Companies that are still hiring often prefer candidates who can immediately contribute without extensive training, even if they are overqualified for the role.
Food service and retail remain the largest sources of employment for teenagers, according to US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, but those sectors are no longer absorbing young workers at previous rates.
The Labour Market Is Changing Faster Than Young Workers Can Adapt
The decline in teenage employment is not entirely new.
A 2022 report by Pew Research Center found summer employment rates among teenagers began falling during the early 2000s technology downturn and weakened further after the 2007-2009 financial crisis.
What has changed is the structure of hiring itself.
Online applications, automated screening systems and tighter staffing budgets have altered how employers recruit. Advice once passed down through generations, such as walking into a business and asking for a job, is proving far less effective.
There are also broader economic implications.
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, early work experience can improve long-term employment outcomes by helping young people build skills, professional networks and financial independence. Losing those opportunities may have consequences that extend beyond one summer.
Some younger entrepreneurs are attempting to respond to the problem directly. Connor Vukelich, now a student at Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, created an employment platform called Poppin’ Jobs after struggling to find work himself as a teenager.
He believes automation and artificial intelligence may be reducing certain entry-level opportunities, while minimum wage increases in some states have encouraged employers to prioritise applicants with existing experience.
Those factors are creating additional barriers for first-time workers entering the labour market.
A Warning Sign for the Future Workforce
The difficulties facing teenagers may also signal broader softness in the US economy.
Historically, summer hiring has served as an early indicator of employer confidence. When businesses become more cautious, inexperienced workers are often the first group to feel the impact.
For teenagers, the consequences are immediate. Fewer jobs mean fewer opportunities to earn money, build professional skills and prepare for adulthood.
Whether hiring rebounds will depend on economic conditions over the coming months, particularly inflation trends and employer confidence. Until then, many teenagers will continue submitting applications and hoping that one employer is willing to offer them a first chance.
