Summer jobs for students: How to find work in B.C.’s tough job market
June 12, 2025
A morning after posting openings for several seasonal jobs, Jenn Spry had 70 resumés in her inbox.
“That’s definitely more than other years,” said the agritourism manager at Taves Family Farms, which runs the Applebarn in Abbotsford. The farm will sift through the applications in the coming days before hiring for their mid-August sunflower festival and fall farm attractions.
Amid a tough job market, many B.C. youth are struggling to find summer employment. Often seen as a rite of passage, jobs like slinging burgers or leading camp singalongs give teens spending money and allow them to save for college.
But experts say B.C. youth are at risk of losing more than money if they can’t find work. Summer jobs also provide a master class in soft skills, like communication, time management and problem solving, with lasting impacts.
“The data overwhelmingly suggests that it is good for youth to work,” said Marjan Houshmand, a business professor at the University of Hawaii who grew up in Vancouver.
A Statistics Canada labour force survey released this week found that in May, the unemployment rate among students ages 15 to 24 was 20.1 per cent, an increase of 3.2 per cent from May 2024. The rate has been trending upward since May 2022, when it was 11.4 per cent.
The survey noted that May job numbers provide “the first indicator of the summer job market, especially for older youth, as high-school students are still attending classes.”
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