Toronto ranked best city in Canada for youth to work. Here's why
Toronto is the best city in Canada for youth to work in, according to a new study.
RBC and Youthful Cities’ 2023 Urban Work index looked at 30 Canadian cities and ranked them based on 167 urban work indicators in a range of topics, including diversity and inclusion, good youth jobs, affordability, transportation and health, among others. The scores were then weighted based on how important each topic is to youth, based on survey results.
The results aim to serve youth, between the ages of 15 and 29, as a resource on where in Canada has the “most inclusive and accessible places” to work in the country.
Even though Toronto ranked last in affordability and saw a mass exodus of its youth leaving to settle down in other provinces, the city placed first as the best city to work in for youth in Canada. This is a seven spot jump for Toronto, as it placed eighth overall the last time the Urban Work rankings were published in 2021.
“As post-pandemic recovery continues, the future of work for young adults remains precarious,” Raj Dhaliwal, index lead for Youthful Cities, said in a news release.
“Work environments, emerging climate changes across sectors, wages and inflation will continue to impact young people’s decisions around work, and in doing so, how they live and contribute to a city.”
Toronto ranked first in three topics: education and training, entrepreneurial spirit, and digital access. The city ranked high in these factors due to its diverse availability of post-secondary exchange programs, dedicated scholarships for BIPOC students, and its number of libraries, free Wi-Fi locations per capita, start-ups, investors and co-working spaces per capita.
Montreal, Que. clinched second, while the previous first place winner, Vancouver, B.C., landed in third.
Across Ontario, Kitchener-Waterloo, Ottawa-Gatineau, Mississauga scored spots in the top 10 list. London, Ont. cracked 15th, St. Catharines-Niagara placed 16th, Brampton snagged 17th and Windsor in 20th.
Oshawa was the lowest ranked city in Ontario, placing in 28th, due to its lengthy average commute time.
Meanwhile, Yellowknife, N.W.T., placed last among the 30 Canadian cities, due to its lack of good jobs with a youth employment rate of 16 per cent. But, it was named the youngest city with an average population age at 36 years old and has the smallest gender gap in its labour force.
Here are the top 10 best places for youth to work in:
- Toronto, Ont.
- Montreal, Que.
- Vancouver, B.C.
- Charlottetown, P.E.I.
- Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont.
- Ottawa-Gatineau, Ont.
- Mississauga, Ont.
- Quebec City, Que.
- Laval, Que.
- Halifax, N.S.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to squash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
A subset of Alzheimer's cases may be caused by two copies of a single gene, new research shows
For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer’s disease — in people who inherit two copies of a worrisome gene.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Trudeau Liberals to unveil new bill Monday aimed at countering foreign interference
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be tabling legislation on Monday aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Federal officials have scheduled a technical briefing on the incoming bill for Monday afternoon.