Rising Unemployment and Struggling Downtowns Show Urgent Need for Youth Jobs Strategy
KELOWNA, B.C.: Conservative Official Opposition Critic for Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, Gavin Dew, says today’s Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey numbers underscore an ongoing growing crisis for both young people and small businesses across British Columbia.
New labour force data shows B.C.’s unemployment rate has climbed again to 6.2%. With 16,000 jobs lost last month, 195,000 people ages 15–64 are out of work.
Among youth, the situation is even more severe:
12.8% of young people (ages 15–24) are unemployed — that’s more than 51,000 youth without work.
Young women face the highest rate at 14.4%, significantly above the average.
Nationwide, the 17.9% summer unemployment rate for returning students is the highest since 2009, with young men facing a 19.2% summer unemployment rate.
“Young people are missing out on jobs, missing out on opportunities, and missing out on hope for a bright future,” said Dew. “That first summer job is more than just a job —it’s a core memory. I still remember my summer jobs: filing and photocopying, stocking shelves and mopping floors, and then delivering pizza.”
“It’s time to get serious about the crisis of youth unemployment,” said Dew. “We need a comprehensive youth employment strategy — not superficial band-aid solutions, but a serious, integrated plan that addresses the root causes.”
Dew, the MLA for Kelowna-Mission, said the challenges of youth unemployment are compounded by the struggles of small businesses in downtowns across the province.
“Small business operators are trying to survive in business districts increasingly plagued by vandalism and violence,” Dew said. “You can see the exhaustion and trauma in their eyes after yet another broken window, another random attack, another dead body. We can’t expect them to grow storefront businesses and create jobs when they are hanging on by a thread.”
Dew emphasized that both youth and small business need immediate and targeted help if the province is to avoid long-term damage to its economic fabric.
“B.C. cannot afford to lose a generation of young people to unemployment and underemployment, and we cannot afford to watch our small business sector — the backbone of our economy — collapse under the weight of crime and insecurity,” Dew said.
“We need action now.”
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Media Contact:
Ryan Painter, Conservative Caucus Communications Team
Director of Communications
Ryan.Painter@leg.bc.ca
