Small businesses may have a hard time finding teen workers this summer
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As the summer hiring market heats up, small and seasonal businesses may find they're missing a key demographic to fill roles – teen workers. Outplacement firm Challenger Gray projected teens will gain 1.1 million jobs in 2023, down slightly from last year's numbers and the lowest forecast since 2011. The group said this spring that teens are once again working at pre-pandemic levels, but cautioned many teens who are willing to take on jobs are likely already in the workforce. The unemployment rate for teens aged 16 to 19 crept up slightly in June to 11% from the previous month, according to Friday's June jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Meanwhile the labor participation rate fell year on year, to 36.3% from 42.9% in June 2022. That could mean fewer available workers for businesses like Grotto Pizza that rely heavily on teens, according to hiring manager Glenn Byrum. Across Grotto's 20 locations in Delaware and Maryland, teens make up a litt