Michigan teens are facing challenges trying to secure entry-level work during the summer due to an increase in demand for entry-level job positions.
This summer, teen unemployment in Michigan reached 18 percent — up from the 13 percent in 2023, and well above the national average of nearly 15 percent, according to state and federal data.
Michigan’s teen unemployment rate mirrors the conditions of the overall labor market, said Wayne Rourke, Labor Market Information Director for Michigan’s Center for Data and Analytics.
“The overall rate of unemployment has also followed that similar trend," Rourke said. "So what teens are experiencing is similar to what the overall market is seeing as far as job demand and weakness throughout the years."
The decline may actually be a return to normal after higher than average hiring.
“Job demand was really, really high over the years following the pandemic," Rourke said. "There was a lot of demand for a lot of workers that went down for a few years, but it appears to be coming up in the last year."
Jobs such as retail workers, supply stockers, counter workers, and fast food workers are in the highest demand.
Despite the recent change, experts predict job growth in general will remain relatively stable for the next several years. Change isn't expected until the baby boomer generation begins reaching retirement age.
“Our population is shifting and getting older," Rourke said. "So there’s a lot of baby boomers aging into that retirement age. So there’s going to be a lot of demand for workers in the coming years, which I would hope would make it easier for folks to get jobs as people age into their retirement age and move out of the workforce."
And there’s another contributing factor, Rourke said, due to declining birth rates.
“Right now," he said, "It looks like our labor force is going to continue to shrink.”
