A tight labor market is increasing demand for teenage workers and boosting their wages to higher-than-usual levels as many teens around the country look for jobs during their summer breaks.
The proportion of Americans between the ages of 16 and 19 who have jobs has trended up in recent years, as nearly 34% of Americans in that age group had jobs in April compared to 30% in 2019, the last pre-pandemic summer, according to government data.
Hourly pay has also trended up in the sorts of industries that typically employ teens, such as restaurants, retailers and amusement parks. Pay in those industries rose about 5% in April compared to one year ago – above the typical pre-pandemic increase of 3% annually but only marginally higher than the 4.9% year-over-year inflation rate measured in April.