John Alimasi, 16, has been looking for work for the past five months, distributing resumes at local restaurants and shopping malls. However, he hasn’t received any responses from employers yet.
“I kind of feel bad,” said Alimasi, as he sat in the London Public Library with his sisters. “At the same time, I know that it’s hard to find a job in Canada.”
Alimasi mentioned he’s open to any job he can find to help support himself, his two younger sisters, and his mother.
Recent data from Statistics Canada indicates that London has the third highest youth unemployment rate among major metropolitan areas across the country.
The unemployment rate for individuals aged 15 to 24 in the city was 22.2 percent in May, up from 15 percent in January. The latest statistics for May 2026 show Ontario’s overall unemployment rate at 7 percent while Canada’s average stands at 6.6 percent according to Statistics Canada.
Alimasi and his family relocated to London from South Africa about a year ago. Although he hopes to buy an Xbox and a new phone with his earnings, his mother is also struggling to find work in the city; thus, his main focus is on supporting his family.
“I’m the oldest from the entire family,” said Alimasi. “It’s my responsibility as the oldest to look for a job in order to help my family out.”
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Fanshawe College student Agnes Ronan found the job search discouraging but secured a position as a peer mentor at Youth Opportunities Unlimited. (Jessica Singer/CBC)
Agnes Ronan, who is 26 and studies at Fanshawe College while living with her parents for financial support, felt disheartened during her job search after classes ended; she applied online but became frustrated over time.
“I was really depressed and struggling with mental health and just having a hard time motivating myself to do the job hunting,” said Ronan who recently got hired as a peer mentor at Youth Opportunities Unlimited earning minimum wage.
“When you have no money and no job, you feel awful; you feel tired every day.”
The longer that young people go without that first job experience,
the less confident they’re going to be,
and it just becomes further and further away for them as a goal.- Tyler Paget,
Youth Opportunities Unlimited Paget pointed out that many young applicants are starting to depend on AI tools when creating resumes or cover letters; however,
they should always proofread these documents carefully before submission.
“It’s important just really making sure that your resume is free of errors-like formatting issues or incorrect dates-those sorts of things,” said Paget. Paget added that employers shouldn’t disregard applicants who don’t exactly meet all criteria or education requirements for entry-level positions; practical experiences alongside goals and passions should also be considered during evaluations.
“The longer that young people go without that first job experience,
the less confident they’re going to be
and it just becomes further and further away for them as a goal,” he explained.
“It’s going to take a whole community.”
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Youth sent out hundreds of resumes
Youth Opportunities Unlimited has seen an unprecedented number of young people seeking job support lately, according to Tyler Paget, who manages employment services at the organization. This organization assists individuals aged 15 to 30 with educational and employment resources. “A lot of what we’re hearing are things like, ‘I’ve tried applying 100, 200, 500 times and I’m not even getting an interview,” said Paget. Recently when Paget posted a job opportunity for youth at YOU it attracted around 100 to 150 applications; in past years, receiving about 50 applications would have been considered high for one posting. He noted that they typically only interview three candidates per position. “It’s really become a big difference for us now having to go through that many applications,” he said.Tips to land a job
Paget emphasized there are still steps youth can take to catch employers’ attention. He recommends that young people try meeting hiring managers face-to-face so they can understand what those managers want in applicants. Youth should express their skills directly during conversations with employers while customizing their resumes and cover letters based on each specific job description. Youth should connect with people they know within their networks about potential jobs too; making personal connections within their community is beneficial as well.The longer that young people go without that first job experience,
the less confident they’re going to be,
and it just becomes further and further away for them as a goal.- Tyler Paget,
Youth Opportunities Unlimited Paget pointed out that many young applicants are starting to depend on AI tools when creating resumes or cover letters; however,
they should always proofread these documents carefully before submission.
“It’s important just really making sure that your resume is free of errors-like formatting issues or incorrect dates-those sorts of things,” said Paget. Paget added that employers shouldn’t disregard applicants who don’t exactly meet all criteria or education requirements for entry-level positions; practical experiences alongside goals and passions should also be considered during evaluations.
“The longer that young people go without that first job experience,
the less confident they’re going to be
and it just becomes further and further away for them as a goal,” he explained.
“It’s going to take a whole community.”
Source link
