September 03, 2002 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Youth unemployment this summer

Three million youths 16 to 24 years old were unemployed—not working but actively looking for work and available to take a job—in July 2002.

Unemployment rate of 16- to 24-year-olds, July 1999-2002 (not seasonally adjusted)
[Chart data—TXT]

The youth unemployment rate was 12.4 percent in July, up from 10.4 percent in July 2001 and the recent low of 9.6 percent in July 2000. This July, the unemployment rate for young men (12.6 percent), young women (12.2 percent), and young whites (10.7 percent) was higher than in July 2001. The July 2002 rate for young blacks (22.5 percent) was little changed from July 2001.

These data are from the Current Population Survey. The data are not seasonally adjusted. Find out more in "Employment and Unemployment Among Youth -- Summer 2002," news release USDL 02-478.