Canada’s post-secondary graduates start job hunt amid high unemployment rates

The post-graduation job hunt is beginning for hundreds of thousands of students across Canada.

For many, it’s a frustrating cycle of looking for jobs without having experience yet — when that’s a minimum requirement.

“Employers now have a higher bar because they expect students to show up ready to work, but university is not necessarily preparing them to show up ready with both the AI skills and the human interpersonal skills,” said Venture For Canada CEO Steven Wang.

“There’s a disconnect and I call that an ‘experience gap’ that we need to bridge.”

Non-profit Venture For Canada works to bridge the gap between employers and students heading into the workforce.

According to Wang, one in five small businesses are closing entry-level roles — limiting opportunities for recent grads.

“We are seeing 14 per cent unemployment among youth, that’s double the national average,” said Wang. “In some ways, that could be a bigger impact in the longer term. This might be the beginning; we’re seeing the anticipatory impact of AI and other disruptions.”

For recent University of Toronto graduate Serina Woo, the job search has been ongoing since she graduated in 2025.

Woo has taken on several part-time jobs while looking for her 9 to 5, but says competing with graduates of master’s programs for the same roles is challenging.

“A lot of the times I hear from employers saying, ‘You’re perfect, you’re such a great candidate, I know you’d be a really good fit for the team, but there’s someone else with several more years of experience,’” said Woo.

She is grateful for this period of time without a 9 to 5, as she gets to explore her other interests and options while still young.

However, finding jobs that provide the necessary income while being unable to work on a subject you’re passionate about is difficult.

“I would love to work in psychology and that environment, but I have decided to work in restaurants because it’s good money and often I can get jobs very easily without necessarily having decades of experience,” said Isabelle Malavoy Mundle.

The June 2025 post-secondary graduate has been working mostly part-time jobs since leaving school and said it’s hard to find good-paying, stable jobs without a master’s degree.

“So, I have come to the realization that it is going to be important for me to specialize and go back to school in order to find stable income that I am passionate about,” Malavoy Mundle said. “Making sure I can pay the bills.”

Wang wants all sectors, government, businesses and universities to work together to ensure the next generation is given its fair shake.

“They just want a chance,” Wang said. “I think they’ve done all the right things, they’ve gotten the good grades and jumped through all the hoops and now they feel like there’s no opportunities.

“What we need is to provide concrete, realistic pathways for them.”

&copy 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.