Earlier this week, the federal government announced the start of their Canada Summer Jobs 2026 youth hiring period, saying there are up to 100,000 jobs availble for youth across Canada.
In an emailed statement to CKDM NewsNow, Employment and Social Development Canada said summer jobs are a great way for youth to try out different careers amid sustained pressure to Canada's labour market.
Canada’s labour market is experiencing sustained pressure from tariffs, skills shortages, supply chain disruptions and the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. Youth have been hit particularly hard and many are finding it difficult to gain a solid foothold in the job market. That is why the Government of Canada is creating 175,000 jobs and skills building opportunities for youth as well as providing education and training related actions that will improve youth employment across Canada. This includes 100,000 Canada Summer Jobs to provide young people with an opportunity to develop skills and gain valuable job experience, while also earning income. It can be a diverse career launching pad for so many young people. The number of different opportunities that come up throughout the country is exceptional. It will allow young people to explore career paths in high-demand sectors such as construction, technology, the environmental sector, recreation, tourism, and more.
Because of increased pressures to the Canadian job market, the government has increased the number of available jobs this year by almost 30,000. Employment and Social Development Canada said helping youth find summer jobs is a great way for youth to gain experience and employable skills.
"There is no shortage of diverse opportunities across this country, and this year, there are up to 100,000 jobs that young people can apply for to get the experience they need. This is almost 30,000 more than last year, and it’s a real response to the anxiety and persistently high youth unemployment rate facing young people today," read part of the statement.
Employment and Social Development Canada said it's especially important to provide tools to youth with barriers to employment. This was taken into account with the new summer jobs search on the Job Bank website.
"Youth who face barriers to employment may include youth in rural, remote, northern, or fly-in communities, as well as youth in official language minority communities. For this reason, Canada Summer Jobs includes priorities and parameters to ensure that these youth have access to important summer employment opportunities," read part of the statement.
The statement also said Employment and Social Development Canada encourages employers to create inclusive job placements to ensure all young people can have a chance to build employable skills and gain valuable workplace experience, amid rising unemployment rates.
"With annual unemployment rates at high levels for youth, CSJ provides youth with opportunities to develop and improve new and existing skills. For some, CSJ is a first job experience that will help inform their future education, training and career choices," read part of the statement.
According to Statistics Canada, Manitoba alone had a 5.6% unemployment rate in March 2026. As of March 2026, Canada's national unemployment rate is 6.7%.
So far on the government's Job Bank website, there are 19 youth jobs available in Dauphin.
