A federal labour department memo acknowledged growing joblessness among young Canadians but failed to mention the government’s own decision to allow over 1 million foreign students into the workforce.“Youth unemployment is on the rise,” said a June 12 briefing note to Labour Minister Patty Hajdu titled Employment And Skills Support For Canada’s Youth. Blacklock's Reporter said it warned that young workers face “economic shocks” and increasing challenges in securing employment. Internal data showed that 30% of student-aged jobseekers reported struggling to make ends meet..The department noted youth employment is heavily concentrated in vulnerable sectors like retail, hospitality, and tourism, and that young workers are often the “last in, first out” during downturns. “The impacts of recessions can have long-lasting effects on the economic prosperity of youth,” it said.Nationwide, unemployment among Canadians aged 15 to 24 sits at 14.2%, with rates highest in Newfoundland and Labrador at 17.4%, followed by Alberta at 16.4% and Ontario at 15.8%, according to the latest Labour Force Survey..The briefing note did not address cabinet’s policy allowing 1,040,000 foreign students to work in Canada without a cap. Until 2022, federal regulations limited international students to 20 hours of paid work per week. The cap was then lifted entirely and later adjusted to 24 hours a week during the academic year.“This may result in increased competition for Canadian workers,” the immigration department admitted in a November 20 Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement. An internal audit, Evaluation Of The International Mobility Program, confirmed that no analysis was done on how the policy affected Canadian students. “Impacts are not monitored,” it said..In 2023, then-Immigration Minister Marc Miller downplayed concerns that foreign students were replacing Canadian workers.“I don’t think students are taking jobs away from other people given the labour shortages that are happening in Canada,” he told reporters.When asked whether the department had examined the issue, Miller replied, “Well, look, there’s labour shortages across the country.”
