Ontario’s 17.7% youth jobless rate highest in Canada

By Tom Parkin

May 12th, 2026

BURLINGTON, ON

The Doug Ford government yet to outline a jobs strategy as young workers face a summer of unemployment.

Unemployment rate for workers aged 15 to 24 in April, 2026 (seasonally adjusted)

No matter how many times Doug Ford repeats his pitch that Ontario is open for business or buys ads telling voters they are being protected, the monthly data keeps saying the opposite.

Statistics Canada’s April Labour Force Survey pegged Ontario unemployment rate at 7.5 per cent, third-highest in Canada, with young worker unemployment at 17.7 per cent, worst in the country. There were 672,900 unemployed workers in Ontario in April.

And with college and university students about to finish their terms and find fewer opportunities and more competition the labour market, the number of unemployed Ontarians appears posed to rise substantially into the summer. But the provincial government has yet to outline a jobs strategy.

Ford’s opposition unveiled its summer jobs plan to the legislature Monday.

Marit Stiles: Leader of the NDP Opposition at Queen’s Park.

Leader Marit Stiles promoted a plan to fund municipality and tourism jobs for workers under 30 years old.

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