A new Fraser Institute report reveals Canada’s youth unemployment rate (ages 15–24) has jumped sharply from 10% in 2022 to 13.8% in 2025 — the fastest increase outside of a recession in decades. While multiple factors are at play, the study points squarely to rapid population growth through record-high immigration levels as a major driver. With immigration dramatically increasing the supply of workers (especially in entry-level sectors), young Canadians are being crowded out of their traditional first jobs in retail, food services, and hospitality.
For True North and frontline recovery organizations, this trend is deeply concerning. When young people can’t find work, the risk of isolation, hopelessness, and substance use rises sharply — exactly the pathways that lead many into the addiction and homelessness crises we address every day. Meaningful employment in those critical early adult years builds dignity, structure, and purpose. Flooding the labour market with new arrivals while the economy struggles to absorb them makes that first rung on the ladder much harder for Canadian youth to reach, prolonging vulnerability and delaying independence.
Smart, balanced immigration policy that matches labour market needs — rather than chasing raw population targets — would ease pressure on young workers and strengthen communities. True North believes Canada must prioritize getting our own young people into stable jobs first. When youth unemployment climbs this fast due to policy choices on immigration, it undermines the very social fabric we work to repair. Practical reform here isn’t just economic common sense; it’s essential for preventing the downstream human costs we see too often in recovery work.
