Michigan teen unemployment expected to rise this summer, but attorney says laws focused on teen safety at work remain consistent

May 13, 2025

State releases 2025 job market forecast for Michigan teens aged 16 to 19

Media Contact: Barbara Fornasiero; EAFocus Communications; 248.260.8466; barbara@eafocus.com

Detroit – May 13, 2025–--Unemployment among Michigan teens aged 16-19 is expected to be higher this summer, according to the just-released 2025 teen job market forecast by Michigan’s Department of Technology Management & Budget. Terry Bonnette, a partner at Detroit-based management-side labor and employment law firm Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer PC, notes that regardless of the job – or the job market – employers must follow laws specifically written for teen workers.

“If an employer hired 10 teens last summer, and only hires seven this summer, the rules on pay and safety stay the same,” Bonnette said. “Employers seeking seasonal workers, while also trying to build up the next generation workforce, need to comply with the laws that govern teen workers – and their parents should be aware of them, too.”

The foundation guiding teen workers is the Michigan Youth Employment Standards Act, which governs several categories, including the hours minors (teens under age 18) can work, permit requirements, limits on accessibility to alcohol, use of motorized equipment and handling cash in the evening.

“The Act generally puts forth common sense rules to help keep teens safe at work while also protecting employers from potential liability,” Bonnette said. “Separately, there are also rules regarding minimum wage for teens.”

Minimum wage/teen wage laws in Michigan:

Michigan's minimum wage is $12.48 per hour.
The 85% rate for minors aged 16 and 17 is $10.61 per hour.
The rate for tipped employees is $4.74 per hour.
The training wage is $4.25 an hour for newly hired employees aged 16 to 19 for their first 90 days of employment.

Employers who wish to take advantage of subminimum wages for minors must remember that they cannot displace (i.e. terminate or reduce the hours or benefits of) an existing worker in order to hire someone to work for subminimum wages.

Michigan law regarding teen workers

Bonnette offers a quick rundown of key guidelines for young workers and their employers:

A work permit is required for minors and can be obtained through the child’s school. There are two types of permits depending on the age of the minor.
In the summer, minors aged 16-17 may work between 6 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. During the school year, minors aged 16-17 may only work between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10:30 p.m., except on Fridays and Saturdays (or during school vacation periods), when they can work until 11:30 p.m.
Minors under 16 years of age may only be employed between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Minors cannot handle cash after 8 p.m. or sunset (whichever is earlier) unless there is another employee present who is at least 18.
Minors cannot sell or serve alcoholic beverages, but a minor 16 years of age or older (or age 14 in a retail setting) can work where alcohol is being sold if alcohol doesn’t exceed 50% of sales.
Employers must ensure that a minor is provided with at least one 30-minute meal or rest period for every five hours of continuous work.
Teens working in amusement or recreational establishments are not entitled to overtime pay if the establishment does not operate for more than seven months in a calendar year.
Summer camp employees are exempt from Michigan’s minimum wage and overtime requirements as long as they are employed for four months or less.
Individuals must be at least 18 to operate power-driven equipment such as meat slicers, mixers, saws and motor vehicles, including OSHA and MIOSHA regulated equipment such as forklifts.

Some exceptions governing young workers

Summer also creates employment opportunities for tweens and younger teens to work in a family business because immediate family members are exempt from minimum age laws when their parents own the business. There are also exceptions for minors working in farming. Caddying is considered a safe job, and minors as young as 11 are legally allowed to be caddies; however, some golf course jobs, such as mowing the greens with huge tractors or retrieving golf balls in a motorized vehicle, can and do result in serious injury or death and individuals must be at least 18 and trained to perform those jobs.

For more information governing youth employment, you can visit the State of Michigan website.

About Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer PC

Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer specializes in employment litigation, traditional labor law, workplace investigations, and management consultation and training for private and public sector employers. The firm also provides arbitration and mediation services. Woman-owned and led since its founding in 1992, Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer exclusively represents management in the prevention, resolution and litigation of labor and employment disputes.