Young people in New Brunswick are facing a tougher job market this summer, as youth unemployment climbs and employers become more cautious about who they take on. The shift is being felt even as some local businesses say they are being flooded with applications from students looking for work. The result is an uneven picture, with strong interest from job seekers running up against more selective hiring across the province.
At one local cafe and ice cream parlor, applications have been pouring in this year. The owner said they received upwards of 50 applications, definitely more than last year. The previous year it had been a little harder to find people, and the owner ended up reaching out to people they already knew, while this year, by contrast, they were simply flooded with applications from those wanting the work.
The wider numbers point to a harder environment for young people trying to find a foothold in the workforce. Youth unemployment jumped to 15.2 percent last month in New Brunswick, almost two points higher than the national average. That figure also remains well above the pre-pandemic average, underlining how much tighter conditions have become for younger job seekers in the province.
Recruiter Jeff Lanthier said the job market is tough and that hiring practices have changed. He noted that a lot of organizations are being more deliberate with their labor costs, and that this sometimes comes at the expense of roles such as summer internships. Those positions, he said, have typically been viewed by organizations as potential feeder sources for grabbing students after they finish school for full-time roles.
Despite the tighter market, a provincial employment program for young people is already filling up this year. The SEED program provides funding for employers to create more than 1,200 summer jobs for students across New Brunswick. Its quick uptake stands in contrast to the caution being shown elsewhere, suggesting that demand for the positions remains strong where public support is available to help create them.
New Brunswick's labour minister said it has been a challenge to fill these jobs in previous years, but that the picture is different this summer. In the past, the minister noted, it was not always easy to fill the entire number of positions being offered through such programs. As of now, the minister said, the province appears to be going in the right direction when it comes to getting young people into summer work.