The plight of younger workers

The economic recovery has been almost non-existent for younger Canadians (those aged 15-24 years). They accounted for more than half of all net job losses during the recession and employment still stands some 250,000 below its pre-recession peak. In contrast, jobs held by those over the age of 25 years are more than 400,000 above its level prior to the downturn. The main conclusion of this brief paper is that Canada's youth are facing difficult conditions when entering the labour market or in their first years of employment. While it is challenging, it is not as bad as some make out as youth labour market conditions were worse in prior recessions. Canadian youths are not facing the terrible prospects of their counterparts in Europe and the US. Nevertheless, it is clearly evident that the Canadian youth are facing an uphill battle, which will persist for some time.

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