Ottawa moves to prop up youth employment in a rough summer jobs market [Video]

The federal government is moving to shore up a historically weak summer job market for students — even as one economist argues tough employment prospects for young people suggest broader softness in the job market.

Statistics Canada shone a light on the difficult employment prospects for students heading back to school this fall in its May jobs report last Friday.

Roughly one in five returning students aged 15 to 24 was unemployed in May, the agency said. The last time the jobless rate for students was this high outside the pandemic was in May 2009.

Also on Friday, the federal government announced an expansion of the Canada Summer Jobs program, which offers wage subsidies to businesses hiring young people for seasonal work.

Ottawa says it plans to subsidize an additional 6,000 jobs on top of the 70,000 already planned for employers participating in the annual program.

Employment and Social Development …