CNE reports record number of registrations for annual job fair amid rising youth unemployment rate

Crowds make their way through the midway during opening day of the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto on Friday, August 19, 2022.

As youth unemployment across Canada continues to rise, one of the country’s largest festivals is reporting a record number of signups for its annual hiring fair.

In a release issued Monday, the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) said it received a record 54,000 online applications to work at the fair this summer.

That number is significantly larger than the amount of vacancies CNE is hoping to fill at a hiring event at Exhibition Place on Wednesday.

There are 5,000 openings to work at the Exhibition between cashiers, retail associates, game attendants, food service staff, midway operators, and information guides. The CNE says 1,000 roles have already been filled.

Statistics Canada’s June 2025 Labour Force Survey showed that youth unemployment hit 14.2 per cent, up 0.7 percentage points year-over-year.

StatsCan said that rate remained significantly above a pre-pandemic average of 10.8 per cent recorded between 2017 and 2019.

The unemployment rate for returning students specifically—those heading back to school in the fall—also remained elevated at 17.4 per cent in June. That’s down slightly from 20.1 per cent in May, which marked the start of the summer jobs season.

StatsCan said it was the highest unemployment rate for returning students in the month of June since 2009, excluding the pandemic period.

In Ontario specifically, student unemployment in June sat at 18.9 per cent.

The CNE said 81 per cent of its staff at last year’s two-week long fair identified as youth between the ages of 14 and 29.

Last year, over 4,000 people attended the hiring event.

The Exhibition will start on Aug. 15 and run until Labour Day, Sept. 1.