B.C. has Canada’s worst youth unemployment rate

[00:00:00]This is the time of year when many young workers are often getting one of their first jobs, but the Business Council of BC has released a report indicating that when the pandemic is excluded, youth unemployment is now at 14%, a level not seen since the financial crisis.

[00:00:14]>> The share of young people that are either working or looking for a for a job, so those participating in the labor labor market, has fallen to its lowest level since 2002.

[00:00:26]We went from from having the third highest labor force participation rate for young people in Canada to the lowest.

[00:00:33]>> Across the country, youth unemployment has trended upward from more than 9% in March 2023 to more than 14% in April of this year.

[00:00:43]>> They're struggling to get that first job, that first foot in the door of the work market.

[00:00:48]>> BC's Jobs Minister points out the 14% youth unemployment rate is in line with the national average.

[00:00:54]>> We want to see that number come down, and that's why we continue to make investments in trades training opportunities, because we know there's employment opportunities. That's why we're making advocacy to the federal government to reduce the amount of temporary foreign workers that are being brought into the province.

[00:01:09]>> But the Conservatives argue more could be done.

[00:01:11]>> This Business Council report reaffirms a lot of what we've been seeing over the last number of years, which is a very scary picture for youth employment in British Columbia. A recent CFIB report showed that BC is one of the only provinces in Canada that does not have an incentive for hiring youth.

[00:01:33]>> Regardless of the policy debate, with the summer school break approaching, young job seekers will be hoping employers are willing to give them a chance, even in a challenging economy.

[00:01:42]Martin MacMahon, CTV News, Vancouver.