As you may be aware of, Stephen Poloz recently made some remarks regarding Canada’s current high youth unemployment rate; it is roughly double Canada’s current total unemployment rate of 6.5%. Making statements such as “young people should work for free“, Poloz caused an uproar, with many people showing their discontent regarding his take on the situation. Personally, I do see some worth in what he was saying; I think people should have to put in some effort to find a job that suits them, and gaining any experience will help speed the whole process up.

However, working for free with no guarantee of later reimbursement or paying contracts does not sit well with me. I see issues both on a personal level and in the big picture. I have many expenses to pay for and am not fully reliant on the Bank of My Parents, therefore I would sooner work in a field completely unrelated to what I want to do and pay my expenses, rather than work in my desired field for free. Also, encouraging the youth to work for free would also encourage businesses to simply not pay young people, potentially making the unemployment issue worse. This concern is outlined as well in the CBC Business News article:

Stephen Poloz, unintended champion of jobless youth

Ultimately, I would have to say I disagree with Poloz. Under most circumstances, I don’t see much benefit coming from youth commonly taking unpaid jobs. It’s just not practical for most students, with high tuition prices and other expenses. Please respond or comment your opinion!