Even if you’re only making a couple bucks an hour working at a summer camp or stocking shelves at the grocery store, the first job in one’s career can feel life-changing.

But many teens today are missing out on that experience.

While the overall unemployment rate has hovered between 4% and 4.2% since May 2024, joblessness for teenagers aged 16 to 19 rose from 12.3% in June 2024 to 14.4% in June 2025—a 17% increase overall. Teens currently are the age group with the highest unemployment rate. Meanwhile, unemployment for people aged 20 to 24, who have also experienced difficulty finding employment this year, increased 9% year over year to 8.2%

Rising teen unemployment primarily relates to the fact that employers have made fewer hires overall after peaking in early 2022 during the “Great Resignation,” especially in sectors where teenagers are most likely to find jobs, such as leisure and hospitality and retail trade. As such, hiring for this age group will be weaker this year.

Predictions from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas suggest teenagers will gain 1 million jobs from May through July 2025, down from the 1.1 million gained during the same period last year (which was 200,000 lower than the firm originally predicted).

Don’t panic yet, but...—PM

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a new bill into law last month regulating the use of AI in the Lone Star State.

The Texas Responsible AI Governance Act (TRAIGA 2.0)—sponsored by Republican State Rep. Giovanni Capriglione—attempts to govern the development, deployment, and use of AI in the country’s second largest state.

In some ways, the Texas law mirrors other notable AI legislation in its scope, including the Colorado Artificial Intelligence Act, which prohibits algorithmic discrimination and the EU AI Act. But it stops short of those other measures.

John Rood, founder and CEO of Proceptual, a firm working at the intersection of HR and AI, told HR Brew he was surprised to learn the details of this legislation emerging from Texas.

“The earlier drafts of the Texas regulation were much more stringent and much closer to Colorado and much closer to European Union AI act, and those protections have been substantially watered down,” Rood said.

Here’s what HR should know.—AD

The summer is already proving to be one for the record books and as new data sheds light on climate change-induced heat deaths, outdoor workers are among the most vulnerable for heat illness.

Where in the world? While one may assume that Greece is used to hot summers, not even Megan Thee Stallion could prepare workers for the rising digits this year. Last month Greek labor ministry officials ordered breaks and stop-work times for workers in certain parts of the country most impacted by the heat wave, according to the AP. The country has also asked employers to allow remote work as the heat wave continued.

As the impacts of climate change become more apparent, several European countries including Spain, Italy, and France have instituted heat laws to protect workers in recent years, regulating how much time people can work outdoors on hot days and mandatory breaks.

Satellite view. The US and many employers have largely resisted federal heat protection rules and some politicians have actively fought against keeping workers protected as temperatures climb. Many workers have complained or gone on strike against employers like UPS and Amazon, claiming they’ve had to continue working in dangerously hot conditions.

Meanwhile, in the US of A...—KP