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Most people in region and beyond at this point are familiar with the shortage of workers many employers are experiencing.
A great many businesses in the Marquette area still have "We're hiring" signs up in windows; indeed, it is not unusual for firms, especially in the service industry, to simply close up for days on end because of the labor shortage.
Now it seems, there is a shortage of teenagers available to work, according to information from the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics cited by the Capitol News Service.
Here are some surprising statistics to think about. In 2000, the share of teenagers ages 16 to 19 in the workforce was just under 62%. By 2022, the rate declined to slightly more than 41%.
The teenage labor force participation rate in 2021 was just under 39%, the lowest recorded since 2013, according to CNS.
Several factors explain the decline of teenagers in the labor market the past 20 years, said Wayne Rourke, labor market information director at the center.
"Two key factors that can be identified in data include the shrinking population of working-age teens and increasing school enrollment for this group," Rourke told CNS.
While the teenage labor participation rate declined, it's still about in the middle of the 30 states that track the rate and is better than the national average, with 39% in Michigan compared with 36% nationally, according to the center, said CNS.
Teens often find work with highly seasonal employers that require more workers during the summer, including hotels, food services, retailers and arts, entertainment and recreation sectors.
Because of its nature, this is not an easy issue to address, here or elsewhere in the state.
And with tourist season fast approaching, employers will have to find new and creative ways to get the work done.