Students struggling to find summer work in a pandemic economy

Adam Brown lined up a job in March with a consultingfirm in Edmonton. He just started there this week.

He counts himself among the lucky ones luckier than many ofhis friendswhose summer-job options, like those of so many students,havebeen hard-hit ever since pandemic-related restrictions took hold inMarch.

Statistics Canada reported the youth employment rate dropped to49 per cent at the outset of the pandemic, the lowest rate sincecomparable data began being gathered in 1976, and the unemploymentrate (the proportion actively looking for work and unable to findit) hit 16.8 per cent, the highest mark since June 1997.

Job prospects may be different for different students, Brownsaid, depending what they're studying.

But "most students are still probably having difficultieslocking down jobs," said Brown, the outgoing chair of theCanadianAlliance of Student Associations.

"We'll have to see as the summer progresses if job markets areactually going to open with more availability for students. Becausethe service industry in particular, I think, is going to take a lotlonger to get back on its feet."

Grim jobs report expected

On Friday, Statistics Canada will report preliminary jobs figuresfor April. A broader data set on students is anticipatednext week.

The reports are expected to show the situation gotworse as economic activity contracted further. BMO ispredicting Friday's labour force survey will show a loss of 4.5million jobs in April, and an unemploymentrate that could hit 20per cent.

Job postings on Indeed.com for community-services positions,which would include many common summer jobs for students, are all sharply down from last year, said BrendonBernard, the website's economist.

"At the moment, the summer-job market is going to be tough forstudents," he said."That was a key impetus for the government to launch a specificstudent-oriented supplement to the emergency benefit system that wasrolled out for all workers earlier in the month."

The $9-billion aid package includes money for skills training,wage subsidies and work placements, trying to create tens ofthousands of positions. The Liberals also retooled the popularCanada Summer Jobs program, hoping it would help companies putstudents on their payrolls.

Some small businesses say they've been frozen out

Many small businesses that use the program to help them hire studentswere keen to use it, but have since voiced disappointment afterlearning the additional funding or positions were only available tothose who already hadsigned up to use the program, said Dan Kelly,president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

"One of the biggest challenges many employers have with studentemployment is a lack of available students for the work they have onoffer," Kelly said."This year is likely to be somewhat different, as many employershave reduced their regular workforce."

Federal figures published Wednesday show that 7.59million people applied for the Canada Emergency ResponseBenefit priorto Tuesday, and the treasury is paying out $28.57billion in benefits. The program has a budget of $35 billion, andtargets workers who have lost jobs or work opportunities or now earnless than $1,000 per month as a result of the pandemic.

Many students have been able to access the $2,000-a-monthbenefit, Brown said, but there are gaps in the program.

Falling through the cracks

Jamie Woodward fell through one of them.

The 17-year-old started working two part-times jobs in January one at a grocery store, another at a restaurant in the Ottawa area only to see his hours cut in March. He, like other young peoplepredominantly employed in the service sector, lost his restauranthours when the establishment closed, and the grocery store has cutback.

Friends who lost their jobs have received federal aid, Woodwardsaid.

"I have someone who's got $3,000 from CERB, which doesn't makeany sense," he said.

Woodward continues to workbut doesn't seem to qualify for anyfederal programs. He's also waiting on details of the federalgovernment's student aid programs to see if there's anything therethat could help.

Treasury Board President Jean-Yves Duclos said Wednesday thatthe government will soon provide more specific information about thedesign of the student supports. He said payments to students shouldbe as swift as payments for the CERB.

The $1,250-a-month benefit for post-secondary students istargeted at those whose finances are affected by the pandemic, withpayments covering May to August.