The Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget has released its summer (June–August) teen employment forecast for 2022. As the Michigan labor market continues to recover from the impacts of the pandemic, the demand for workers remains high. Therefore, teens in search of jobs will enter a favorable labor market as they look to find positions in the summer of 2022.

This summer, many teens will be seeking jobs, some of them for the first time, after sitting out of the labor market over the past couple of years. In the first quarter of 2022, Michigan’s unemployment rate of 4.7 percent was comparable to historical lows and the number of job openings soared. Entry-level positions requiring little experience or training are among those that have a strong demand for workers. This trend is expected to continue into the summer months, providing a favorable environment for teens applying for work.

“An additional 35,000 to 40,000 teenagers are forecasted to join Michigan’s workforce this summer,” said Wayne Rourke, associate director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives. “If the current demand for workers remains strong, many of these teens will find a job. In 2022, Michigan can expect high participation and low unemployment for teenagers compared to previous summers.”

In 2022, there are just over 500,000 teens ages 16 to 19 in Michigan and nearly half of them are expected to participate in the labor market this summer. The forecasted teen summer labor force of 239,000 is improved over the pandemic summers of 2020 and 2021, however it is not as high as years prior to that. While the participation rate of teens in the labor market is forecasted to be high this year, Michigan’s population of teens ages 16 to 19 has declined every year since its latest peak of 614,000 in 2008.

The teen summer forecast for 2022 is similar to the recent summers of 2018, 2019, and 2021. In those years, the teen summer unemployment rates were between 10.0 and 12.0 percent and there were between 200,000 to 225,000 teens that held jobs. In the summer of 2022, the forecasted teen unemployment rate is 10.1 percent, in line with recent years, with the exception of 2020. An expected 214,000 teens will find work this summer.

Teens 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.

To help employers prepare for the influx of young workers, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Wage and Hour Division, is hosting a webinar on May 12, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. to provide important Youth Employment information for young job seekers, schools, parents, and employers. Anyone interested in learning more can join the webinar at: https://bit.ly/3y0nLzN. For more information on Youth Employment visit: Michigan.gov/wagehour.

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.