Over the last 5 years, Atlantic Canada has seen significant changes in youth unemployment. In New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia, the unemployment rate was high during the pandemic, then began dropping, it is now climbing back up again while Prince Edward Island’s continues to fall. Recently there has been public discussion that the uptick in youth unemployment is attributable to higher levels of immigration, however, that argument holds little weight. While the youth unemployment rate continues to rise, the total number of non-permanent residents in Atlantic Canada has decreased since the beginning of 2025 and the entire region’s total population grew by 2,301. Without immigrants choosing to move to Atlantic Canada, we wouldn’t have had the modest population growth, we would have had population decline.

Instead of blaming immigrants for this issue, we should turn to the policies and external factors that are shaping the economic landscape. Tariffs, automation, high interest rates, and stubborn inflation continue to be ongoing factors that are heavily influencing economic conditions. But challenges come with opportunities to unlock Atlantic Canada’s economic potential in partnership with our youth.

Atlantic Canada’s NEET (Youth Not in Employment, Education, or Training) rate has been historically higher than the national average. The NEET rate is representative of youth ages 15 to 29 who are disengaged from the labour market and educational systems. There are many reasons that a young person would fall into this category, and each case is different!

Reducing youth unemployment isn’t something that can be done overnight, I believe meaningful steps can be taken by community groups, investors and government to lower these rates. Canada’s Youth Employment Skills Strategy programs were found to improve youth employment after the pandemic should be reinvigorated with specific programs to meet the needs of Atlantic Canadians. It’s not enough to roll out generic job programs and hope they stick. We need targeted investments that measure success and failure before the investment is made again.  If we’re serious about lowering youth unemployment, we also need to tackle the barriers that keep them out of the workforce in the first place: lack of affordable housing, inadequate public transit, and gaps in mental health and addiction supports. One such program is the YWCA’s Ready for Launch Program that is currently offered in NL, Halifax and Moncton. The ACC recently participated in this program and had great success!