Summer jobs could prove tough to come by for students, according to latest job stats

Statistics Canada’s latest jobs report shows youth unemployment reached a near decade high.

The overall unemployment rate for youth went up 0.9 per cent in June to 13.5 per cent — the highest since September 2014, with the exception of 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic.

Recent University of New Brunswick graduate Armin Panjwani secured two jobs despite the cooling labour market. She’s an experienced barista who studied Media Arts and Theatre and found work at a Fredericton patisserie and theatre company.

But for several weeks, she tasted the pain of applying for jobs on Indeed.com and LinkedIn with little luck.

“I sent out at least thirty to forty applications a day and not many people would get back to you,” said Panjwani.

“A lot of my friends who are either in university of have just graduated university keep having the same conversation about how it’s difficult right now in the job market to get a job.”

June’s Labour Force Survey suggests the possibility of students finding summer jobs has proven especially difficult.

The Employment rate of returning students—those aged 15 to 24 who attended school full time in March and plan to go back to school in the fall—was at 46.8 per cent in June, its lowest point since June 1998, outside of the first year of the pandemic.

The unemployment rate among returning students was 15.9 per cent in June 2024, up 3.8 per cent from the year before.

While 15-year-old Maddie Montague managed to get jobs as a lifeguard and swim instructor this summer, she noted multiple of her friends are struggling to find summer work.

“Even fast-food places aren’t taking people all that much too even,” she said.

Her tip is to become a lifeguard.

“They’re in high demand,” she said.

Dennis Campbell is the CEO of Ambassatours Gray Line, Atlantic Canada’s largest land and water sightseeing tour operator.

His business was in short supply of workers two years ago and now received a surplus of high quality applications.

“Two years ago we were crying for people,” he said, adding they couldn’t get enough workers and had to close the business for two days of week during peak season because of staff shortages.

“We don’t like to turn away good people but we’d rather that than be short and not be able to stay open,” he said.

Campbell’s advice for students looking for summer jobs is to apply early and be persistent.

“Start early this winter and spring for next year,” he said, pointing out that there still may be a few opportunities should a few hires not work out.