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Navigating the job market for the first time can be arduous, and in recent times, the quest has become even more formidable for young Canadians.
At a Calgary job fair where young individuals aged 15 to 24 gathered, recent graduate Jay-Owen Angeles shared his challenges, stating, “I’ve applied to over 100 companies without securing an interview.” His brother Ronin Angeles, a second-year student in computer science and biology, echoed similar struggles.
“It’s been tough, even with attempts for food service roles, but unfortunately, no success,” he expressed.
Expressing his willingness to gain experience, Ronin added, “I haven’t had any prior experience, so I am eager to take on any opportunity that comes my way.”
Despite the efforts of thousands of young job seekers attending job fairs to make a personal impression, the competition remains fierce. Over 5,000 individuals participated in a recent job fair in Calgary.
Young workers are disproportionately impacted by a declining job market, accounting for approximately half of all job losses in the first quarter of the year, despite comprising only 14 percent of the workforce. Certain sectors that usually employ young individuals have faced reduced hiring demands, and with a growing population post-pandemic, the job market is flooded with more applicants in an uncertain economic climate.
Speaking on the subject, Charles St-Arnaud, the chief economist at Servus Credit Union, projected, “In an economic environment where businesses are hesitant to hire, it will be the youth who bear the brunt of the impact. This trend is likely to persist in the upcoming year.”
Youth Bearing the Job Market Strain
Recent data from Statistics Canada’s labor force survey revealed that the unemployment rate for Canadians aged 15 to 24 stood at 13.8 percent in March, compared to the overall rate of 6.7 percent.
Although a slight decrease from the peak of 14.6 percent in September 2025, the rate has remained almost unchanged from 13.9 percent in March of the previous year.
During the initial quarter of 2026, the economy witnessed a loss of around 95,000 jobs. Young workers constituted 53 percent of these losses, despite representing just 14 percent of the workforce.
