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Landing a first job can be challenging at the best of times, but in recent years, the search has become even more daunting for young Canadians.
“I’ve applied for over 100 companies and so far I haven’t found any even for an interview,” said recent graduate Jay-Owen Angeles at a Calgary job fair aimed at youth ages 15 to 24.
His younger brother Ronin Angeles, a second-year computer science and biology major, said he has also struggled.
“It’s been rough, even with food service interviews, but no success at all,” he said.
“I haven’t had any experience so far, so anything that’s willing to take me in, I’m more than happy to.”
Thousands of young people are turning to job fairs to try and stand out in person, but the competition remains intense. More than 5,000 attended a recent job fair in Calgary.
Young workers continue to be disproportionately affected by a weakening job market, making up about half of all job losses in the first three months of this year, despite representing just 14 per cent of the labour force. Hiring demand in certain sectors that typically employ them has weakened, while a growing population since the pandemic means there are more job-hunters in an uncertain economic environment.
“In the economic context where businesses are less willing to hire, it will be the youth that is going to take the brunt of it,” said Charles St-Arnaud, chief economist of the Servus Credit Union.
“That will probably continue in the next year.”
Young workers taking the brunt
According to Statistics Canada’s most recent labour force survey, the unemployment rate for Canadians aged 15 to 24 was 13.8 per cent in March, compared with 6.7 per cent overall.
While that is down from a recent high of 14.6 per cent in September 2025, it is virtually unchanged from 13.9 per cent in March last year.
In the first three months of 2026, the economy lost roughly 95,000 jobs. Young workers accounted for 53 per cent of those losses, despite representing only 14 per cent of the labour force.
Canadians between 15 and 24 are struggling to find work. One young job seeker said they applied to 100 companies without getting an interview.
St-Arnaud said the uncertainty is tied to higher energy prices, U.S. trade tensions and the rise of artificial intelligence, making employers more cautious in hiring.
“That means summer jobs, summer interns, co-op students are probably less of a priority or not being hired this year as they used to be in the past,” he said.
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Apart from the pandemic, Canadian job-seekers…
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