The federal government announced Wednesday that because of the alarming economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, university and college students and others under the age of 25 years would be eligible for a 100 per cent subsidy if hired through the Canada Summer Jobs Programme.
Data published by Statscan on Thursday confirms what has been out there anecdotally since the economy went into a deep nosedive in March.
Young people have borne the brunt of the coronavirus-related job cuts so far. The number of employed people aged 15 to 24 dropped by 392,500 and the youth unemployment rate soared to 16.8 per cent or the highest it has been this century.