TORONTO — Thousands of young people lined up for interviews at the Canadian National Exhibition job fair on Wednesday amid a high level of youth unemployment in Ontario.
The CNE said it received more than 54,000 online job applications for more than 5,000 seasonal positions at the two-week fair, including cashiers, retail associates, game attendants, food service staff, midway operators and informational guides.
Organizers said that was the highest number of job applications they've ever received, calling it a reflection of a job market that's causing high rates of youth unemployment. CNE estimated that approximately 4,000 candidates turned up at the job fair.
Applicants who started arriving just after 5 a.m. Wednesday were interviewed at 24 booths for food and games vendors. Many of them chatted and kept up positive energy despite long lines that curved and looped through the Enercare Centre at Toronto's Exhibition Place.
Pollos Pubert said he's among many young people who need a job before the end of the summer after unsuccessfully applying for other employment.
"I put in about 50 resumes in (job search platform) Indeed ... got three replies back with a deny, others didn't even care to reply," he said.
"Today, I'm applying for anything that pays, really. I'll take anything, but specifically I want cashier attendant, game attendant, just for experience."
Musa Mehmood said he arrived at the job fair at 5:30 a.m. and stood in line for job interviews all morning.
"(It's) really chaotic. There's a lot of people here and I'm seeing new faces every moment and people are just building up," he said.
Sydney Prokopetz said she was hiring game operators and looking for young people who can do the job.
"We are just looking for nice young kids who will be able to help run the games, help us out as a nice family business, run things, keep things organized, talk to kids, call people in," she said.
CNE CEO Mark Holland said the large turnout was extraordinary. He acknowledged that finding a job has been difficult for a lot of young people.
"We've all been there. We all know what it's like to try to get our first job. It's very competitive. It's hard," he said. "This is a place where you can really pitch your skills and we're looking for people who are going to bring that sense of joy and fun to the fair."
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for people aged 15 to 24 in Ontario was 15.8 per cent in June.
Statistics Canada said the national youth unemployment rate held steady at 14.2 per cent last month and "remained significantly above" its pre-pandemic average of 10.8 per cent, recorded from 2017 to 2019.
One expert said the youth unemployment rate is higher this year compared to the same period last year but it's still lower than during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2008 recession.
Viet Vu, the manager of economic research at Toronto Metropolitan University's Dais think thank, said youth unemployment is up because the job market has cooled over the last several months, due to fewer businesses hiring and the disruptions in trade with the United States.
"A lot of businesses feel like they can't really plan for the future. That also then reduces the amount of hiring," he said. "It's reflecting the fact that a lot of students and young people are being disappointed by the job market right now."
Vu said young people who are looking for their first job after graduation and students who are looking for summer jobs are hit especially hard.
"We're actually only seeing that the number of jobs being posted is decreasing because the job market just isn't as tight as it was a year ago," he said. "All of that impact will unfortunately be absorbed by young people who are new entrances to the labour market."
"A lot of these young folks who might have just graduated may not be able to find a job in their own field," he added.
"Let's say you're a business student — ideally you would be applying and get jobs and internships at the big banks or investment firms and all of those things, and the fact that you can't get those jobs means that you have to search for any job that is available to make ends meet."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2025.
Maan Alhmidi and Fatima Raza, The Canadian Press
