The average unemployment rate for students aged 15 to 24 was 16.7 per cent from May-Aug. 2024, up from 12.9 per cent in 2023 according to the latest report from Statistics Canada. That means the summer unemployment rate for students has increased by nearly four per cent over the past year.
Many students actively applying for jobs have found that they are not hearing back from employers, let alone getting an interview.
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“It has become so unmotivating to do applications knowing that I’m probably not going to hear back,” Lena Cook, a student from Western University said.
Yasmine Marwan, a sociology student at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), said she had applied to many part-time, minimum wage jobs in the retail and hospitality industry, but was unable to find a job all summer. Marwan said she applied both in person and on job sites like Indeed.
“I feel that while many people are using Indeed, it doesn’t seem to work because companies receive thousands of applications and don’t seem to review them all,” she said.
Being qualified for job positions has not made job hunting any easier for these students.
Cook said she has applied for retail, cashier and sales associate positions. “I find it very discouraging because I know I’m qualified for most of these jobs,” she said, “I have six years of retail experience.”
Policy analyst Hilary Hagar said that youth are the most adversely affected group during an economic downturn.
“When job cuts occur within an organization, it’s often easiest to cut the most junior people,” said Hagar, “this means there are fewer opportunities for youth.”
The Youth & Innovation Project at the University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Environment is advancing research on youth employment. The project currently has a partnership with RBC Future Launch to conduct a 6 -year longitudinal study. So far there are over 26,000 participants who have opted-in for the study, highlighting its broad impact and effectiveness.
Alessandra Aponte, Communications and Youth Engagement Coordinator for the Youth & Innovation Project said unemployment among youth has been a persistent trend, predating the pandemic.
“Generally affecting individuals aged 15 to 30, young people face distinct and varied challenges when it comes to employment,” said Aponte.
According to Statistics Canada, the summer job market in 2024 was tough for returning students aged 15 to 24 from three major racialized groups. Black students faced an unemployment rate of 29.5 per cent, up 10.1 percentage points from 2023. Unemployment also increased for Chinese students to 22.4 percent (+7.4 points) and South Asian students to 21.5 percent (+5.1 points).
Hagar said they focus on marginalized and disadvantaged groups such as Black Canadians, Indigenous peoples and newcomers at the Future Skill Centre.
“Youth from these groups may struggle even more than other youth. Therefore, it is crucial to provide early interventions, which might mean starting in high school, not just after university or college when looking for a job,” she said.
Cook, a fourth year student, mentioned being concerned about finding post-graduate employment
“The changing state of the world and AI coming into everything, I am very worried about getting a job after grad,” she said.
“These challenges are influenced by different commitments and barriers that are unique to this age group,” said Aponte.
“Youth have been disproportionately impacted by unemployment in comparison to the rest of the Canadian population, a trend that has been observed in recent years.”
According to a report put out by Waterloo’s Youth & Innovation Project, teens aged 15 to 19 prefer to work entirely in person, contrary to what might be expected given their heavy use of screens, while those ages 20 to 24 show a strong preference for hybrid work arrangements that combine both in-person and remote work, Aponte said.
“These findings suggest that employers need to adapt to these diverse preferences to engage effectively with the youth workforce,” said Aponte.
“Employers can better support and connect with young employees by offering flexible work options and opportunities for meaningful connections.”
“Going forward, I’ll probably focus more on volunteering and building connections within the industries I’m interested in,” said Noorah Abdulrahim, an arts and contemporary studies student at TMU.
Reporter at On The Record
OTR reporter, Fall 2024
