Youth Unemployment Surges in Canada

0:00Younger Canadians A's 15-24 are facing a tough job market, according to a fresh statistics Canada report dropped on April 22nd. Youth employment dropped 23,000 jobs at the end of 2025, then tanked another 64,000 in January and February of this year, that pushed their unemployment rate back over 14 percent by February, with only 53.7 percent of them holding down jobs. Looking into 2026, the overall economy shed 109,000 positions in those first two months, mostly full-time gigs in the private sector. Core-age workers lost 62,000 jobs, hitting hardest in Ontario and Quebec. Back in 2025, youth unemployment peaked at 14.6 percent in September, the worst since 2010 outside the pandemic with. Ontario closing the year at 15.6 percent. This slump builds on a rough 2025 summer and fall, where national youth joblessness lingered around 13.3 percent.

1:01Trade tensions early that year crushed hiring, dropping the job-finding rate to 18.1 percent from January to August, way below the prior. Years 21 percent average. Long-term unemployment stayed high too, with 21.9 percent of the 1.55 million jobless folks in December 20. Five searching for 27 weeks or more, well above pre-pandemic levels. Job vacancies failed to 505,900, down 29,000 from last year. Stats. Can paints a clear picture? Canada's youth and broader workforce are grinding through real headwinds, but keeping eyes on these trends could. Spark the fixes we need. From your city, powered by AI, this is Canada News Today.