What Youth Might Expect from the Summer Job Market This Year 

For many teens and young adults, summer is a time to get a job, earn money and learn new skills. But this year, finding a summer job may be a bit harder given the uncertain economic environment. Even so, young people can still expect to find some opportunities. Here’s what young people could expect based on professional insights from Kari Norman, Senior Economist at Desjardins. 

Why summer jobs may be harder to find

So far this year, the youth job market has stayed fairly steady, but it is still somewhat weak. The unemployment rate for young people ages 15 to 24 is slightly better than last year, now below 13%, but remains much higher than pre-pandemic norms.¹  At the same time, a similar share of young people are either working or looking for work as compared to a year ago, meaning the situation has not worsened in recent months. Even so, the latest data suggest hiring intentions among Canadian businesses have somewhat weakened because of a softer economic outlook.²  There are ongoing concerns about trade with the United States, including the uncertainty surrounding the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), which may make some companies less confident about investing and growing. Changes in oil prices are also raising costs for many businesses, and the growing use of artificial intelligence is reducing the need for some entry-level jobs. As a result, it can be harder for young people to find work, since they are often just starting out and have less experience.

Some positive signs for the summer

There are also several reasons to feel hopeful. Over the past year, some international students and temporary foreign workers have left, while fewer newcomers have arrived. As a result, the number of young people in Canada has gone down, especially those ages 20 to 24, meaning there are fewer people available to fill the labour market demands of the summer season. ³ 

Tourism is expected to be strong this summer. More Canadians have indicated they plan to travel within Canada instead of going to the US.⁴ This could create more seasonal jobs in hotels, entertainment and recreation. Restaurants and other food and beverage services also hire many young people in tourist regions, and tourism remains a major source of youth employment.

The federal government expects the Canada Summer Jobs program to help create up to 100,000 jobs in 2026.⁵ This could give more young people a chance to find work, even if hiring otherwise would be slower.

Navigating money when summer work is uncertain

Learning to manage economic uncertainty is an important life skill, and summer can be a good time for youth to start building it. Regardless, one can still learn and build effective habits for financial success.

For those who do earn money, even part-time, it helps to balance spending and saving, track where money goes and set a small goal to stay motivated. For those without steady work, the focus can shift to making the most of what they have—prioritizing needs, stretching their budget and building habits that will help them manage money with confidence in the future.

The bottom line

This summer’s job market may be uncertain, and finding a job could take time and effort. However, it remains an important opportunity for youth to build skills, develop a stronger understanding of money management and cultivate resilience in the face of economic uncertainty.

References

 1. Statistics Canada, June Labour Force Survey, 2026.

 2. Bank of Canada, Business Outlook Survey—Second Quarter of 2026, 2026.

 3. Desjardins Economic Studies, Is Canada Likely to See more Record-Breaking Population Declines?, 2026.

 4. Desjardins Economic Studies, Is Home the New Abroad? Canada’s Tourism Outlook for 2026, 2026.

 5. Government of Canada, Canada Summer Jobs 2026 – Canada.ca, 2026.