Fraser Institute News Release: Average hours worked (per week) for young Canadians declined by more than 16% from 1989 to 2023
June 27 2024 - 5:00AM
The median number of weekly hours worked by young Canadians (aged
15-24) has fallen 16.3 per cent since 1989 and youth employment
rates remain below 1980s levels, finds a new study published today
by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian
public policy think-tank.
“Over several decades many governments across Canada have sought
to boost youth employment but for the most part have been
unsuccessful,” said Ben Eisen, Fraser Institute senior fellow and
co-author of Recent Trends in Youth
Employment.
According to the study, in 1989 the average young Canadian
worker (aged 15-24) worked 30.7 hours per week compared to 25.7
hours in 2023—a decrease of 16.3 per cent.
Similarly, the average hours worked per week declined from 30.9
in the 1980s to 28.0 in the 1990s—and the average from 2020 to 2023
was 25.6 hours.
Clearly, there’s a continuing decline in the hours worked by
young people in Canada.
And from January 2023 to May 2024, Canada’s youth unemployment
rate increased from 9.7 per cent to 12.6 per cent.
Why are these trends problematic?
Because when young people obtain experience in the workforce, it
can have lifelong positive effects. Conversely, when young people
have little work experience, it can negatively affect their
employment prospects and wages in adulthood.
“If governments want to avoid the possible lasting harms from
the recent spike in Canada’s youth unemployment rate, they should
help improve the labour market environment for young Canadians,”
Eisen said.
MEDIA CONTACT: Ben Eisen, Senior FellowFraser
Institute
To arrange media interviews or for more information, please
contact:Drue MacPherson, Fraser Institute(604) 688-0221 Ext.
721drue.macpherson@fraserinstitute.org
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The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy
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Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of
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of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by
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