Meanwhile, a report from Desjardins says Canada’s decision to relax work restrictions for non-permanent residents, including allowing international students to work more than 20 hours per week during the pandemic, “led to a sharp increase in the population growth of young workers” between 20 and 24 years old.

“However, as the pandemic moved into the rearview mirror and economic activity normalized, this deluge of available labour well outpaced demand, putting upward pressure on the youth unemployment rate,” it said.