Challenger Predicts Summer Jobs for Teens Will Fall to Lowest Pace on Record

AFTER A 77-YEAR LOW IN 2025, INFLATION, RISING OIL PRICES, AND CAUTIOUS EMPLOYERS POINT TO ANOTHER QUIET SUMMER FOR TEEN WORKERS After last summer’s teen hiring total fell to the lowest level on record in nearly eight decades of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, the headwinds facing teen workers have only intensified.

Challenger Predicts Summer Jobs for Teens Will Fall to Lowest Pace on Record. AFTER A 77-YEAR LOW IN 2025, INFLATION, RISING OIL PRICES, AND CAUTIOUS EMPLOYERS POINT TO ANOTHER QUIET SUMMER FOR TEEN WORKERS After last summer’s teen hiring total fell to the lowest level on record in nearly eight decades of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, the headwinds facing teen workers have only intensified. Rising inflation, climbing oil prices, and a broadly cautious hiring environment are expected to keep the 2026 summer hiring total well below historical averages as employers and consumers rein in spending. Analyzing non-seasonally adjusted BLS data, global outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas predicts teens will gain 790,000 jobs in May, June, and July 2026, down slightly from the 801,000 jobs employers added...