So, you need a job. Everyone needs a job. Well, most people need a job.
If you’re a fresh graduate looking to break into Canada’s workforce, we have some very unfortunate news for you. According to Statistics Canada data, unemployment for recent grads has been the highest it’s been in the last two decades. And that’s not even including the pandemic.
NO INTERVIEWS, NO CALLBACKS, NO OFFERS
You apply on Indeed, LinkedIn, and WorkBC. You wait for a few weeks, check your email every day, and then slowly realize that they aren’t going to email you back. At all. Not even with a rejection notice.
What gives?
Well, current data points toward a job market that has never been worse for recent graduates. In fact, it’s the worst market at least two decades. Specifically, 11.2% of under 25 grads do not have a job.
A growing population of young adults (ranging from 15 to 24) and a weakening labour market has created the perfect storm for many folks to lose out on job opportunities. Add onto this the growing tariff tension between Canada and the U.S. and suddenly the labour market is in a total decline.
YOU WERE A GREAT CANDIDATE, BUT…
All of this means that graduates are going to have a tougher, rougher, and far more brutal time trying to get a job. This is especially concerning as those first few years out of postsecondary tend to set the tone for a graduate’s future career.
Can’t get a job? Can’t learn anything about the job, then. Job seekers simply aren’t being given the opportunity to learn staple skills that they require to further advance their careers. It just makes it even more difficult for these graduates later in life.
Canada is currently in a huge turning point in its history. Uncertainty fills the economy due to the trade war, and employers are forced to scale back their hiring plans. Less jobs, an unstable economy, and a worried population makes for a nightmarish labour market.
It is unsure if things will improve, or if they will continue to decline. All we know now is that it’s tough being a recent graduate.
