Students struggle to find jobs, experts say fluctuation is normal
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This summer, the unemployment rate for B.C. students aged 20 to 24 was 9.7 per cent. In summer of 2023, it was only 5.2 per cent. Students — including those at UVic — are starting to feel the effects of a tougher employment landscape, but if it’s any consolation, the dramatic change is within a normal range of historical fluctuation for Canada.
“[The 2024 unemployment rate] is not historically super bad when you are looking at an overall trend,” said Allison Benner, Associate Director of Career Services at UVic. “But that is not much comfort to you if the previous summer you found [a job] really easy.”
Justin Wiltshire, doctor of economics and UVic professor, points out that this decline is partially due to the unusually high number of youth who were working after the pandemic, when there was high demand to cover and fill positions. Now that social life is returning to “normal,” many students are no longer needed to fill those roles.
“Workers should not expect that we will return to that state of affairs again any time soon,” Wiltshire told the Martlet in an emailed statement.
Benner continued that unemployment rates tend to be cyclical, and while a drop-off like the one B.C. saw in the last year is concerning, it is by no means unprecedented. In Canada in the 1950s, youth unemployment started low but rose significantly by the end of the decade. Unemployment then continued to fluctuate between five and 12 per cent, reaching its highest point in 1983 when nearly 20 per cent of young workers were unemployed. These patterns repeated after economic recessions in the early 1990s and again after 2008. While the numbers have been increasing overall, the cycle of rising and falling youth unemployment has been following a consistent pattern over the years.
“[Students] might not know that it has always been a challenge,” said Benner. “The relatively steep increase from 2022/23 to August 2024 is what [students] will experience, both emotionally and practically.”
Benner explained that the current situation is an effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, Canada’s unemployment rate hit a historic high of 13.7 per cent. Now, things are starting to stabilize again. Data from 1966 to 2024 shows an annual average unemployment rate of 7.54 per cent in Canada.
In this context, 2024 has not been an especially difficult year for job searching, especially not for people living in B.C., which is among the provinces with a lower general unemployment rate, standing at 5.8 per cent as of August 2024. In comparison, Ontario has an unemployment rate of 7.1 per cent, Alberta’s unemployment rate is 7.7 per cent, and Nunavut has the highest unemployment rate, with an unemployment rate of 11.1 per cent.
“Unfortunately, it’s worth reiterating that this labour market is probably closer to normal than ‘difficult’ for youth,” said Dr. Wiltshire. “But fortunately it’s also worth reiterating that things will get better for current students as they graduate and gain work experience.”
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, employment recovers more slowly than output after recessions, as employers remain uncertain about the permanence of increased demand and initially rely on their existing workforce. Recently, though, labor demand has grown faster than supply, tightening the labor market.
“I’m a student, with about a year of admin experience under my belt,” wrote user 1KindStranger in the VictoriaBC subreddit. “I’m working towards getting a [BA] in business. I work as a housekeeper at the moment because I have not for the life of me been able to get a call back for any kind of office work.”
Career Services at UVic offers a wide range of support for students and alumni as they navigate the job market. Students can access one-on-one appointments, drop-in sessions at the library, workshops, and a new asynchronous course on Brightspace. This support doesn’t end at graduation, as Career Services continues to assist alumni with post-graduate support, providing guidance on job searches and career planning, regardless of graduation year.
“University allows you the opportunity to have a lot of access to free support,” said Karae White, Engineering and Computer Science Career Educator. “Your student fees are what actually pays my wage, so come use me. You paid for me.”
Finding work will require strategic planning and leveraging the available support. It is not easy, but with the right skills and preparation, UVic students can still thrive in this evolving job market.
