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DTMB releases summer 2025 job market forecast for Michigan teens (ages 16–19)

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget today released its summer (June–August) teen employment forecast for 2025. In the coming months, many Michigan teens will be entering the labor force, some for the first time, as they search for summer employment. This immediate entry of workers will result in a more competitive labor market for the 2025 summer season. 

Industries that are highly seasonal in nature and require larger staffing levels during the summer months are typically where teens entering the labor force find employment. Examples of these sectors include retail trade, and accommodation and food services. Jobs in these industries are ideal for teens, as they typically require minimal education, experience, or training.

The national teen unemployment rate reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has been climbing since the start of 2025 and is currently above levels seen during the same period a year ago. Michigan’s unemployment rate for teens is experiencing a similar movement to national trends. This trend is forecasted to continue into the summer and unemployment rates for teens are expected to be higher in 2025.

“Michigan teens should prepare for a tighter labor market this summer compared to the past couple years,” said Wayne Rourke, labor market information director for the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics. “Many teens will find work, but unemployment has been rising, similar to overall statewide workforce trends.”

Michigan’s 2025 overall population of teens ages 16 to 19 is forecasted to be over 500,000, with approximately 50 percent of them seeking or holding jobs this summer. It is typical for about half of Michigan teens to participate in the labor market during the summer, a rate that usually exceeds the national teen participation rate by five to 15 percentage points.

The summer 2025 unemployment rate among Michigan teens is expected to average 15.8 percent, up from the 12.6 percent rate in 2024. This is forecasted to be the largest teen summer unemployment rate since 2020. Employment for teens is also forecasted to rise over the year by 13,000, or 6.3 percent, during the summer of 2025. Over a quarter million Michigan teens are expected to search for work in 2025, and 219,300 are forecasted to be employed this summer.

Teens seeking summer jobs are encouraged to contact their local Michigan Works! office. Michigan Works! provides assistance in resume development and job search, including access to Pure Michigan Talent Connect, and also offers tips on applying to your first job.

For more information on youth employment, visit the Wage and Hour Division website.

More statistical information about Michigan's economy, labor force, population and more is available at Michigan.gov/LMI or through the MiEconomy app available for iOS and Android.

For more detailed information, including data tables, view the full release.

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