‘It’s been pretty bad’: Young Calgarians search for success in rocky job market

Economic turmoil and countrywide uncertainty have young Canadians facing some of the worst job prospects seen in decades.

Canada’s teens and young adults are looking for answers amid a rising unemployment rate and limited prospects.

Numbers from Statistics Canada show the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate among people ages 15 to 24 grew to 14.2 per cent in May.

In Alberta, that rate is 17.2 per cent—the worst in the country.

Economists call it “a function of what’s going on in the economy right now.”

“Between the threat of tariffs and recession fears, it’s not a good market,” said Mike Holden, chief economist for the Business Council of Alberta.

“When you see a large number of youths in that age range not joining the workforce, that sets them back.

“And if you start from behind, you don’t really get to catch up.”

If you don’t count stats from the pandemic, the next generation is facing the country’s highest youth unemployment rate since the mid-1990s.

It’s a tough pill to swallow for those heading into the summer job market.

“I’ve probably sent close to 70 (resumés), and I’ve only had five or six (employers) reach out,” 18-year-old Noor Bata told CTV News.

“And of those, only one interview. So yeah, it’s been pretty bad.”

Bata was one of about 1,000 people to attend a career fair inside Calgary’s Genesis Centre on Thursday.

It offered an opportunity for Calgarians seeking employment to meet with representatives from more than 30 companies across various sectors.

Bata is hoping the move will be fruitful.

“I was looking for some summer employment, as well as to kind of understand how the job market is working right now,” she said.

Canada’s Labour Force Survey collects information about students who attended school full time in March and who intend to return to school full time in the fall.

In May, the unemployment rate among those returning students was 20.1 per cent.

That’s an increase of 3.2 per cent from this time last year.

The trend has been driven by a steep drop in accommodation and food services jobs.

“Those industries aren’t growing as fast as they used to,” Holden said.

“If you go into your local Starbucks or a bar or restaurant, you might notice that there are fewer servers around.

“These industries are just not hiring as much, and that sort of removes one of the opportunities that young people have for getting their first job.”

The employment numbers are trending in the wrong direction almost everywhere, but Alberta’s outlook is uniquely grim.

The press secretary for the province’s jobs minister chalks it up to growth.

“As can be expected, more people choosing to call Alberta home means a more competitive job market,” Hunter Baril said.

He points out the government has recently invested in programs that will “expand in-person and virtual employment services for youth, such as job coaching, resumé development, interview practice, job search strategies, workshops and job placements.”

But still, Holden isn’t optimistic.

He shows youth employment rates have historically acted as a prediction of future employment rates across every age range.

He believes without more national and provincial economic certainty, the trend will only continue—and then get worse elsewhere.

“The problem is I don’t think we’re going to be seeing any economic surge any time soon.”