OTTAWA — Despite the federal government pledging billions of dollars in training and efforts to promote job growth, Canada's job market is receiving a big thumbs down from workers, according to new numbers released Wednesday by Angus Reid. The survey highlights growing concern among 18- to 24-year-olds, who are becoming increasingly pessimistic about their prospects of finding a job.
Youth Unemployment on the Rise
About 38% of that age cohort said unemployment was the biggest issue facing Canadians today, a number that has more than doubled since the beginning of the year. Compared to the volatility of 2025, Canada's unemployment rate has remained relatively stable this year at 6.7%.
Canada Job Market 'Frozen'
The job market only saw 14,000 new jobs in March, according to the latest Labour Force Survey released by Statistics Canada. With employers not hiring but largely avoiding mass layoffs, many in economics circles have described Canada's current job market as 'frozen' — a trend largely seen in sectors impacted by tariffs imposed via U.S. President Donald Trump's ongoing trade war.
Youth unemployment remained high at 13.8% for those 15 to 24 years old — an ongoing problem exacerbated by Canada's soft economy and low-income jobs awash in foreign workers. When asked if they or somebody close to them were unemployed and looking for work, 61% of those 18 to 24 said that was the case for them.
Most Workers Describe Market as 'Terrible' or 'Bad'
According to the survey, four in five of those polled described the job market as being a negative place. Thirty-nine per cent reported the job market being 'terrible' — only one percentage point ahead of those who said the job market was 'bad.' Only 11% said the job market was 'good,' while 2% described it as 'great.'
When asked what was making the job market so difficult, the majority (68%) said it was applying for jobs but never hearing back. That was followed by 66% lamenting the lack of local jobs to apply for, 43% said it was not finding jobs that matched their skill or experience, 40% said it was interviews that didn't lead to a job offer, 39% reported jobs that didn't meet salary expectations, 23% not finding jobs with flexible hours, 15% said the interview process was too complicated, and 11% said their personal or family obligations limited their options. Eight per cent said it was something else, and 2% offered no opinion.
The survey was conducted between Friday and Tuesday via the Angus Reid Forum among 2,360 Canadian adults. As margins of error cannot be applied to online panels, an equivalent sample size would yield a margin of plus or minus 2%, 19 times out of 20.
