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Searching for a summer job? You might have a tough time

Students continue to be among the hardest hit by a lack of good jobs. According to Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey for May 2015, the unemployment rate for students was 15.1 per cent, an increase of 1.5 per cent compared to last year.
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According to Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey for May 2015, the unemployment rate for students was 15.1 per cent, an increase of 1.5 per cent compared to last year. Supplied photo.

Students continue to be among the hardest hit by a lack of good jobs.

According to Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey for May 2015, the unemployment rate for students was 15.1 per cent, an increase of 1.5 per cent compared to last year.

"Students who have been unable to find work this summer will be forced to take on more debt in order to cover the cost of post-secondary education this fall," said Bilan Arte, national chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students, in a press release.

"Summer jobs are not a luxury for students; they are a necessity."

Tuition fees have become the single largest expense for university and college students with average domestic tuition fees of almost $6,000 per year.

Canada's students owe more than $15 billion in student debt to the federal government and the Canada Student Loans Program expects that more than 40 per cent of borrowers will require more than the maximum amount of loans next year, the press release said.

"The federal government has failed to take action to address skyrocketing tuition fees, high student debt and a lack of good jobs for students," said Arte. "By not moving to reduce student debt, the government has ignored an essential component of building a strong economy."

The Canadian Federation of Students' recommendations to improve youth employment include:

-Doubling the annual investment in the Youth Employment Strategy to ensure program effectiveness.

 

-Developing a strategy to increase employment and training opportunities, investing in collaborative employment training with schools, businesses, and unions.

 

-Ending exploitative unpaid internships and guaranteeing workplace health and safety protections for all workers.

The Canadian Federation of Students is Canada's largest student organization, uniting more than half of a million students across Canada. The Canadian Federation of Students and its predecessor organization have represented students in Canada since 1927.
 


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