Statistics Canada has conducted it’s first ever study that looks at the unemployment rates of young Canadians. StatsCan has officially named this study NEET – Not in Education Employment or Training.
Canada’s overall unemployment rate is at 7.2 percent, however when looking at the lives of young Canadians aged 15 to 29 the unemployment rate jumps to a staggering 13 percent. The study does not only look at those who are simply unemployed but those that are not in school, nor are they looking for work. StatsCan wanted to get a good grasp on why these young people were not looking for work, what is it that is holding them back from obtaining a full time position?
Germany is Canada’s only G7 peer who is seemingly in a better position when it comes to unemployed youth at a meager 11.6 percent.
In comparison to the debt-crisis in the euro zone, Canadian youth have chosen not to work due to other factors such as staying home with young children. This is due to the extreme diversity in Canadian youth these days. Some of these unemployed youth are not feeling discouraged or disengaged from the work force, they are prioritizing their lives in other ways. Some have been noted saying that they are doing unpaid or volunteer work, others are simply participating in leisure or are too sick to be working. They are not necessarily participating in negative activities, however some experts have spoken up saying that the data being presented could be covering up some underlying issues that Canadian youth are facing today. The study also does not include individuals who are working part time, temporary, or contract jobs.
The real question here is what is going on with the Canadian job force that is creating such a large unemployment rate for the youth who do want to work? Many new technological changes in companies is a factor considering some employers will not offer the necessary training to do the work properly therefore leaving the youth to figure it out. Some may not be as widely educated as needed and will become frustrated and then leave the position. Other factors include the skill set one would need in order to obtain their desired position. A lot of schooling would be necessary and that is just not a reality for some youth in today’s society.
Last year there were 904,000 people considered “NEET” and of that number only a third were actively looking for jobs. Only 1 percent of that third were looking for over 6 months becoming one of the lowest rates among the G7 peers.
It was also apparent through the study that men are having a harder time finding jobs then women. Those who were married with children were less likely to be unemployed and those who were still living at home with their parents were more likely to be unemployed. This could be due to the obvious struggle of supporting one’s self without a steady income.
Youth in Canada today are finding it harder and harder to find jobs, it is becoming less motivating to get out there and actually search for one because every employer is looking for the best. It is a sad and unfortunate reality for the youth of today and tomorrow but finding a job is stressful, demoralizing, and at the end of the day exhausting.
