Here is a look at the change in teen employment over time.
The graph below shows the participation rate and employment-population ratio for those 16 to 19 years old.
The graph is Not Seasonally Adjusted (NSA), to show the seasonal hiring of teenagers during the summer.
A few observations:
1) Although teen employment has recovered some since the great recession, overall teen employment has been trending down. This is probably because more people are staying in school (a long term positive for the economy).