Youth Unemployment Rate More Than Double National Average: Statistics Canada

Thai Express, a food court quick service restaurant that is part of MTY Food Group Inc., is seen in a mall in Montreal on Dec. 2, 2024. The Canadian Press/Christinne Muschi

The unemployment rate among Canadians aged 15 to 24 reached 14.1 percent in February—more than twice the national average of 6.7 percent that month, according to Statistics Canada.

The youth jobless rate peaked at 14.6 percent in September 2025, its highest level in 15 years outside the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency said. It later fell to 13.3 percent in December, rose again in February, and eased slightly to 13.8 percent in March.