Why Canada’s Youth Unemployment Keeps Rising

8/13/2025|Updated: 8/13/2025

Statistics Canada’s labour numbers from July indicate that the country’s youth unemployment rate is continuing to climb, reaching numbers not seen since the 2008 recession.

While the country’s unemployment rate remained at 6.9 percent for that month, the rate among those aged 15 to 24 rose from 14.2 percent to 14.6 percent. This is the highest rate since 2010, barring the COVID-19 pandemic.

Matthew Horwood is a reporter based in Ottawa.