2 days ago
Swift News
Tia Shaw, 15, has applied for five jobs in Kamloops, B.C., over the past week. Her friend, 16-year-old Spade Luce, has applied for seven.
Neither have heard anything back.
"You show up and go with a resume and then ask to talk to the manager," Luce said. "A lot of the time they don't call back.
"I think they might not be hiring. In my opinion, my resume is very professional and I've had multiple work experiences."
Vincent Ferraro, an analyst with Statistics Canada's Centre for Labour Market Information, said industries like retail, food services and hospitality are showing a particular "weakness" in the job market — all areas younger folks usually find work.
According to Janet Morrise-Reade, CEO of the Association of Service Providers for Employability and Career Training B.C., the latest numbers are no surprise.
They're not alone — youth employment continues to fall, according to Statistics Canada. Its most recent survey showed the rate of employment in youth aged 15 to 24 fell 0.7 percentage points to 53.6 per cent last month — the lowest since November 1998 (except for 2020 and 2021 when the COVID-19 pandemic was in full force).
