Gavin Dew Proposes 10,000-Placement Youth Jobs Plan After B.C. Lost 51,000 Young Workers
Updated
Updated · Castanet.net · Jul 10
Gavin Dew Proposes 10,000-Placement Youth Jobs Plan After B.C. Lost 51,000 Young Workers
1 articles · Updated · Castanet.net · Jul 10
Summary
10,000 new paid work placements are part of a Conservative youth jobs plan Gavin Dew pitched as British Columbia’s youth labour market weakens.
51,000 young workers have dropped out of employment in B.C. since 2019, while 85,000 more young people are no longer participating in the labour force, according to Statistics Canada data cited by Dew.
Accommodation and food services lost 20,600 young workers between 2019 and 2025, down 26%, while retail lost another 9,600, together erasing more than 30,000 traditional entry-level jobs.
Dew’s proposal also includes a first-job tax credit for employers, tighter control over temporary labour use and new career pathways, while he argues Premier David Eby’s $241 million trades push does not address the broader youth jobs crisis.