This year getting a summer job is proving difficult for young people in Guelph.
“It’s a different summer than what we’ve had in the last few. And it's not that Guelph’s unemployment rate has skyrocketed, because in the grand scheme of things Guelph is still a pretty low unemployment rate,” said Chris Baginski-Hansen, executive director of 2nd Chance Employment Counselling.
In 2023, the unemployment rate in Guelph was 4.7 per cent and is lower than the provincial average of 5.7 per cent.
Matthew Martins has been looking for a job for the last two years and hasn’t found an employer who will hire him yet.
He is 16-years-old and headed into Grade 11 at St. James Catholic High School. Martins is in summer school so he has something to do while not working. He’s still hopeful he’ll find a job this summer, despite the struggle it’s been.
Martins wants to work to contribute to his household’s utility bills and save money for his future. He’s been relying on birthday money.
Since he started applying he landed one interview. The employer didn’t get back to him on whether he got the job or not. Martins said he would have appreciated an email back or feedback on how his interview could have gone better.
He thinks the job market in Guelph is too full already and could be why there aren’t many openings.
“Maybe because kids around my age just don't have the experience of an older person, and aren't qualified enough to get the job,” said Martins.
To increase his chances of getting a job he’s put his volunteer experience on his resume and created a LinkedIn profile. In the fall he wants to join the co-op program at school to gain work experience.
From April 2023 to April 2024, the unemployment rate among youth aged 15 to 24 increased from 9.9 per cent to 12.8 per cent, noted in a Statistics Canada youth employment snapshot.
“This marked the highest unemployment rate for youth since July 2016, excluding 2020 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic,” read the snapshot.
During the pandemic, participation from youth working or looking for work was low, said Charlene Hofbauer, executive director of the Workforce Planning Board of Waterloo Wellington Dufferin.
The board has tracked youth summer employment over the last two summers. The distinct age groups it follows are youth ages 15 to 19, 20 to 24 and 25 to 29. The older age group is struggling right now, said Hofbauer.
In June 2023, the 25 to 29 aged cohort, in the Guelph census metropolitan area (Guelph, Guelph-Eramosa and Puslinch) had a 92.2 per cent participation rate of actively looking for work or working. In June this year the number dropped to 77.5 per cent.
The 20 to 24 aged group had an 82.1 per cent participation rate in June 2023 and not much change this year with 82.6 per cent.
The 15 to 19 aged group had a 54.4 per cent participation rate in June 2023 and 59 per cent this year.
For June this year, the unemployment rate for youth ages 15 to 24 is 13.5 per cent, according to Statistics Canada's June labour force survey.
Milica Becejski hasn’t had a job yet. She’s 19-years-old and studies at Conestoga College. She's lived in Guelph with her parents for the last six years. For the last year she has tried to find a job.
She hasn’t landed any interviews for the places she’s applied to. Instead, she’s received rejection emails.
Becejski wants to work to make money to sustain herself, become more independent and make social connections.
She thinks the main issues with the job market right now is the economy and experience needed for entry-level jobs. For this summer she isn’t very hopeful she’ll find a job. She thinks by the fall there might be better opportunities. “I'll just do everything in my power. Whatever is needed to get myself employed,” she said.
Baginski-Hansen noted there has been a cohort of young people who have been used to a large pool of job opportunities and now it’s not like that.
At 2nd Chance there are resources for students to help them with job leads and resumes. As for youth, there is the Youth Resource Centre to help people get connected with employers, career goal setting and paid pre-employment training programs. The centre is on hiatus until the fall.
It can impact students if they aren’t able to attain employment over the summer. Money made over the summer covers costs like tuition, books, rent and food while students are in school.
“For a lot of students this isn't fun money. This is money that pays for their education,” said Baginski-Hansen.
Her advice is to not give up on the job hunt. “You have to be persistent, and you have to keep at it, you don't know what's around that corner,” she said. Showing up in person with a resume instead of applying online she said speaks volumes to employers.
Having a summer job allows for youth to practice the skills they have been developing in school, said Hofbauer.
Anika Turner applied for roughly 250 jobs starting in April this year before securing a position at 2nd Chance for the summer. She’s back home in Guelph living with her family before she starts her second year at McMaster University.
After diligently applying she had three interviews for positions in Guelph and Hamilton. She said if she wasn’t able to find a summer job she would have had to take out a student loan to pay for her tuition.
“It's a huge relief to be able to be working,” she said.
