June student unemployment hits highest rate since 2009 outside pandemic years

Statistics Canada has released the results of its Labour Force Survey for June 2025, in which it notes a 17.4% unemployment rate among students planning to return to school this fall. CTV News reports that this is the highest June unemployment rate for students—outside of the pandemic years—since 2009. According to Benefits and Pensions Monitor, economists are attributing this rise to employer caution amid US trade uncertainty, with many companies reportedly scaling back junior hires. StatCan’s broader “youth” category—which includes all 15- to 24-year-olds—recorded a 14.2% unemployment rate in June, up 0.7% year-over-year and well above the 2017–2019 pre-pandemic average of 10.8%.