'No one ever calls them back': University students in N.S. struggling to find summer jobs

As summer begins, university students in Nova Scotia are scrambling to find work and many say they are frustrated.

Recent national figures for the under-24 age group say they're not alone.

According to a Statistics Canada report for June, the national unemployment rate for returning students hit 20.1 per cent in May, the highest since 1999 other than during the COVID pandemic. 

For young men, it's even worse at 22.1 per cent.

Speaking to CBC Radio's Information Morning Nova Scotia, Alexina St. Pierre-Farrow, chair of the Canadian Federation of Students in Nova Scotia, said the situation is bleak.

"A lot of students have spoken to me about their concerns," she said. "They apply to a lot of different jobs, but no one ever calls them back."

St. Pierre-Farrow said many students have expressed concern about the role of artificial intelligence in hiring.

She said this could create algorithmic biases that might exclude applicants based on factors like their last name or gaps in their work history.

When students are able to find employment, she said, it is usually in jobs that are not relevant to their field and will not help them continue with their careers after they graduate.

Low wages

Low wages are also a serious issue for students, she said.

Nova Scotia's minimum wage of $15.70 an hour is set to rise to $16.50 in October.

But St. Pierre-Farrow said that falls well below the estimated $25 an hour living wage calculated by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. 

The impact of low wages is compounded by the fact Nova Scotia has some of the highest tuition rates in the country, she noted.   

When low wages are combined with the province's difficult housing situation, it forces students to make hard choices, she said.

"They don't know whether to spend what little money they have on paying their bills or buying groceries or paying their tuition and not going into debt," St. Pierre-Farrow said.