AI Jobs Monitor · Chart 5 of 6
The ladder is losing its bottom rungs
Unemployment among 16 to 19 year olds was 13.9% in October 2026, 3.4 times the 4.1% rate for all workers. In 2019 the teenage rate averaged 12.7%.
United States, unemployment rate, seasonally adjusted. The lower panel shows the teenage rate as a multiple of the overall rate.
Ages 16 to 19All workers
Teenage rate as a multiple of the overall rate
Show the data
| Month | Ages 16 to 19 % | All workers % | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | 13.9 | 4.1 | 3.4 |
| Sep 2026 | 14.5 | 4.2 | 3.5 |
| Aug 2026 | 14.1 | 4.1 | 3.4 |
| Jul 2026 | 12.1 | 4.1 | 3.0 |
| Jun 2026 | 14.6 | 4.2 | 3.5 |
| May 2026 | 14.7 | 4.3 | 3.4 |
| Apr 2026 | 14.4 | 4.3 | 3.3 |
| Mar 2026 | 13.7 | 4.3 | 3.2 |
| Feb 2026 | 14.9 | 4.4 | 3.4 |
| Jan 2026 | 13.6 | 4.3 | 3.2 |
| Dec 2025 | 15.7 | 4.4 | 3.6 |
| Nov 2025 | 16.3 | 4.5 | 3.6 |
| Oct 2025 | |||
| Sep 2025 | 13.3 | 4.4 | 3.0 |
| Aug 2025 | 13.9 | 4.3 | 3.2 |
| Jul 2025 | 15.2 | 4.3 | 3.5 |
| Jun 2025 | 14.5 | 4.1 | 3.5 |
| May 2025 | 13.4 | 4.3 | 3.1 |
| Apr 2025 | 13.0 | 4.2 | 3.1 |
| Mar 2025 | 13.8 | 4.2 | 3.3 |
| Feb 2025 | 13.0 | 4.2 | 3.1 |
| Jan 2025 | 11.8 | 4.0 | 3.0 |
| Dec 2024 | 12.3 | 4.1 | 3.0 |
| Nov 2024 | 13.0 | 4.2 | 3.1 |
| Oct 2024 | 13.8 | 4.1 | 3.4 |
| Sep 2024 | 14.3 | 4.1 | 3.5 |
| Aug 2024 | 14.3 | 4.2 | 3.4 |
| Jul 2024 | 12.5 | 4.2 | 3.0 |
| Jun 2024 | 12.2 | 4.1 | 3.0 |
| May 2024 | 12.3 | 3.9 | 3.2 |
| Apr 2024 | 11.8 | 3.9 | 3.0 |
| Mar 2024 | 12.5 | 3.9 | 3.2 |
| Feb 2024 | 12.6 | 3.9 | 3.2 |
| Jan 2024 | 10.7 | 3.7 | 2.9 |
| Dec 2023 | 11.8 | 3.8 | 3.1 |
| Nov 2023 | 11.3 | 3.7 | 3.1 |
| Oct 2023 | 13.2 | 3.9 | 3.4 |
| Sep 2023 | 11.7 | 3.7 | 3.2 |
| Aug 2023 | 12.3 | 3.7 | 3.3 |
| Jul 2023 | 11.3 | 3.5 | 3.2 |
| Jun 2023 | 11.2 | 3.6 | 3.1 |
| May 2023 | 10.3 | 3.6 | 2.9 |
| Apr 2023 | 9.4 | 3.4 | 2.8 |
| Mar 2023 | 9.8 | 3.5 | 2.8 |
| Feb 2023 | 11.1 | 3.6 | 3.1 |
| Jan 2023 | 10.6 | 3.5 | 3.0 |
| Dec 2022 | 10.4 | 3.5 | 3.0 |
| Nov 2022 | 11.2 | 3.6 | 3.1 |
| Oct 2022 | 10.7 | 3.6 | 3.0 |
| Sep 2022 | 11.4 | 3.5 | 3.3 |
| Aug 2022 | 10.2 | 3.6 | 2.8 |
| Jul 2022 | 11.3 | 3.5 | 3.2 |
| Jun 2022 | 11.0 | 3.6 | 3.1 |
| May 2022 | 10.5 | 3.6 | 2.9 |
| Apr 2022 | 10.7 | 3.7 | 2.9 |
| Mar 2022 | 10.2 | 3.7 | 2.8 |
| Feb 2022 | 10.2 | 3.9 | 2.6 |
| Jan 2022 | 11.2 | 4.0 | 2.8 |
| Dec 2021 | 11.0 | 3.9 | 2.8 |
| Nov 2021 | 10.8 | 4.1 | 2.6 |
| Oct 2021 | 11.3 | 4.5 | 2.5 |
| Sep 2021 | 11.2 | 4.7 | 2.4 |
| Aug 2021 | 11.1 | 5.1 | 2.2 |
| Jul 2021 | 10.4 | 5.4 | 1.9 |
| Jun 2021 | 11.2 | 5.9 | 1.9 |
| May 2021 | 9.7 | 5.8 | 1.7 |
| Apr 2021 | 12.1 | 6.1 | 2.0 |
| Mar 2021 | 12.9 | 6.1 | 2.1 |
| Feb 2021 | 13.9 | 6.2 | 2.2 |
| Jan 2021 | 15.1 | 6.4 | 2.4 |
| Dec 2020 | 15.8 | 6.7 | 2.4 |
| Nov 2020 | 13.8 | 6.7 | 2.1 |
| Oct 2020 | 13.8 | 6.9 | 2.0 |
| Sep 2020 | 16.0 | 7.8 | 2.1 |
| Aug 2020 | 16.5 | 8.4 | 2.0 |
| Jul 2020 | 19.2 | 10.2 | 1.9 |
| Jun 2020 | 22.5 | 11.0 | 2.0 |
| May 2020 | 30.5 | 13.2 | 2.3 |
| Apr 2020 | 32.8 | 14.8 | 2.2 |
| Mar 2020 | 14.3 | 4.4 | 3.3 |
| Feb 2020 | 11.3 | 3.5 | 3.2 |
| Jan 2020 | 12.5 | 3.6 | 3.5 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, via FRED. No survey data for October 2025 (LNS14000012, UNRATE).
See all six charts and this month's note on the AI Jobs Monitor