Windsor-Essex is Canada’s youth unemployment capital — but new plan hopes to change that

Article content Already the nation’s unemployment capital, the Windsor area also boasts the highest youth unemployment rate (18.2 per cent) in Canada, according to the latest Statistics Canada report covering 2024.

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Article content The bleak local figures, however, coincide with the launch of a new jobs portal tailored to the 15- to 24-year-old age segment which aims to reduce that number.

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The portal went live Wednesday on the Workforce WindsorEssex website and promises all the resources young people will need to be successful in their job hunt.

Article content “The portal is a one-stop shop for youth-focused employment resources as well as community resources, which includes mental health, housing, health and safety,” said Mikal Fakhreddin, Workforce WindsorEssex’s project coordinator and research analyst.

Article content “We want one location where youth can find all the resources they’re looking for when it comes to employment and stability.

Article content “Our goal is to ease the exploration process. We want youth to find the resources they’re looking for as easily as possible. It’s even design-tailored to youth.”

Article content The portal is the first step of the Youth Employment Work Plan, the product of a two-year Workforce WindsorEssex study in consultation with youth and community groups. The plan is backed by $189,000 in provincial funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

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Article content The local unemployment rate for youth (15-24 years of age) in June was 17 per cent compared to the area’s overall jobless rate of 11.2 per cent, according to StatsCan.

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Article content That translates to 7,400 unemployed youths. The national youth unemployment rate is currently 14.20 per cent, while provincially it’s 13.5 per cent.

Article content The provincial rate is the highest it’s been since September 2014, excluding the pandemic years.

Article content Among those aged 15 to 24 locally, the highest local unemployment rates are for Chinese men and Black women (both 30 per cent) and Arab women (29 per cent). There’s also a gender gap, with 21.9 per cent of male youths unable to find employment compared to about 11.8 per cent for females.

Article content “The youth rate is generally higher than for adults,” Fakhreddin said.

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“Over the past decade, the rate for 15- to 24- (year-olds) has been 2.4 times higher than for 25 and up.”