(LANSING) - The Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget has released its summer (June–August) teen employment forecast for 2025.

In the coming months, many Michigan teens will be entering the labor force, some for the first time, as they search for summer employment. This immediate entry of workers will result in a more competitive labor market for the 2025 summer season.

Industries that are highly seasonal in nature and require larger staffing levels during the summer months are typically where teens entering the labor force find employment. Examples of these sectors include retail trade, and accommodation and food services. Jobs in these industries are ideal for teens, as they typically require minimal education, experience, or training.

The national teen unemployment rate reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has been climbing since the start of 2025 and is currently above levels seen during the same period a year ago. Michigan’s unemployment rate for teens is experiencing a similar movement to national trends. This trend is forecasted to continue into the summer and unemployment rates for teens are expected to be higher in 2025.

Wayne Rourke, Labor Market Information Director For The Michigan Center For Data and Analytics says Michigan teens should prepare for a tighter labor market this summer compared to the past couple years. Rourke says many teens will find work, but unemployment has been rising, similar to overall statewide workforce trends.

The summer 2025 unemployment rate among Michigan teens is expected to average 15.8 percent, up from the 12.6 percent rate in 2024. This is forecasted to be the largest teen summer unemployment rate since 2020. Employment for teens is also forecasted to rise over the year by 13,000, or 6.3 percent, during the summer of 2025. Over a quarter million Michigan teens are expected to search for work in 2025, and 219,300 are forecasted to be employed this summer.