Key points:

  • As of early May 2024, Canadian summer job postings were tracking somewhat lower than a year earlier but well above their 2019 level. In contrast, overall job postings were down substantially from 2023, back to where they stood in May 2019. As a result, the summer-share of total postings is well above prior years. 
  • Summer camps are helping keep seasonal hiring appetite strong. Postings for camp counselors and similar roles have remained elevated since 2022 and are up 43% from five years earlier.
  • Seasonal demand has also held up relatively well for positions including customer service representatives, maintenance persons, and administrative assistants, although this could be a sign of a softer job market more broadly, as some employers hold off on looking to fill permanent positions.
  • While elevated summer job postings might help on the margin, the Canadian youth employment situation enters the season in rough shape amid soaring youth population and opportunities struggling to keep pace, creating a difficult situation for job seekers. 

Through early May, Canadian summer job postings have slipped compared to the past two years but remain well above historic norms, unlike the hiring appetite in the broader economy. As of May 11, 2024, job postings on Indeed including the term “summer” in their title were 22% lower than where they stood in 2022, but were down more modestly (-6%) compared to 2023, and still 47% higher than in 2019. 

Two panel line graph titled “Summer job postings not far from 2023 levels”. The left panel shows summer job postings on Indeed index to April 2019 levels, with each line representing a year. Data through May 11, 2024 shows summer postings in 2024 tracking slightly below 2023 levels, but well above their 2019 trend. The right panel shows summer job postings as a share of total job postings, with the share in 2024 well above the share in prior years. 
Two panel line graph titled “Summer job postings not far from 2023 levels.” The left panel shows summer job postings on Indeed index to April 2019 levels, with each line representing a year. Data through May 11, 2024 shows summer postings in 2024 tracking slightly below 2023 levels, but well above their 2019 trend. The right panel shows summer job postings as a share of total job postings, with the share in 2024 well above the share in prior years. 

This stands in contrast to total Canadian job postings, which have fully reversed their pandemic boom, and as of early May were down 23% and 39% from one and two years earlier, respectively, back to their 2019 level. The result has been that summer job postings now comprise a greater share of total job postings than at any point in recent years, with 1.1% of all postings in early May explicitly mentioning summer work in their job title, compared to less than 0.8% in spring of 2019. 

Camp counselors in demand, while some jobs increasingly highlight seasonality

Part of the relative strength in seasonal hiring appetite reflects demand for workers at summer camps. Summer postings for camp counselors in early May 2024 were up 43% from five years earlier, remaining elevated after soaring in 2022 following two pandemic-impacted seasons. Job seekers interested in this type of seasonal work have lots of opportunities. 

Line chart titled “Camp counselors in high demand” shows the number of summer job postings for camp counselors, leads, and managers, as of the week ending May 11th, with all indexed to its value in May 2019. In early May 2024, Camp counselor postings were 43% above where they stood at the same point in 2019. 
Line chart titled “Camp counselors in high demand” shows the number of summer job postings for camp counselors, leads, and managers, as of the week ending May 11th, with all indexed to its value in May 2019. In early May 2024, Camp counselor postings were 43% above where they stood at the same point in 2019. 

However, another factor keeping summer jobs elevated has been that some jobs that aren’t necessarily seasonally dependent are increasingly being advertised as such. More than 10% of job postings for customer service representatives, for example, now mention “summer” in their title, up from less than 1% at the same time in 2019. A shift to seasonal roles is also evident in postings for maintenance persons, administrative assistants, and labourers. The temporary nature of these openings might help students on summer break compete for these positions. But it’s also a sign of the weaker situation facing job seekers overall, as some employers opt for seasonal workers instead of recruiting permanent employees. 

Lollipop graph titled “Some job postings are increasingly specifying seasonal work” shows the share of job postings including summer in the title for spring 2019 and spring 2024. The summer-share of postings rose between 2019 and 2024 for several occupations, including customer service representatives, maintenance persons, and administrative assistants.
Lollipop graph titled “Some job postings are increasingly specifying seasonal work” shows the share of job postings including summer in the title for spring 2019 and spring 2024. The summer-share of postings rose between 2019 and 2024 for several occupations, including customer service representatives, maintenance persons, and administrative assistants.

Youth facing a tough job market, even with strong seasonal demand

The Canadian summer hiring cycle rounds out as the school year ends, and younger workers shift into the labour force. In most years, the share of Canadians ages 15-24 who are working will jump by 10 to 12 percentage points between April and July, according to the Labour Force Survey. However, while 2024 will surely see a substantial seasonal bump, the job market will likely be challenging. In April, 53% of Canadian youth were working (on a non-seasonally adjusted basis), compared to 56% in both 2022 and 2023, and a 55% April average between 2017 to 2019. 

Line chart titled “Youth employment entering summer in weak shape” showing the Canadian youth employment rate (not seasonally adjusted), for each year separately between January and December for 2017 through 2023, and January through April for 2024. While youth employment typically spikes between April and July, in April 2024 it stood well below previous levels. 
Line chart titled “Youth employment entering summer in weak shape” showing the Canadian youth employment rate (not seasonally adjusted), for each year separately between January and December for 2017 through 2023, and January through April for 2024. While youth employment typically spikes between April and July, in April 2024 it stood well below previous levels. 

Solid seasonal hiring appetite could help stabilize youth employment rates, compared to earlier years. But with the under-25 population in Canada soaring, reaching 7% year-over-year growth in April 2024, it’s unlikely that demand for workers will keep up with the surge in labour supply. Many young Canadians gain their first work experiences during the summer months, but while opportunities at summer camps are plentiful, finding work elsewhere could be challenging.

Methodology

We track summer hiring appetite by tallying Canadian job postings on Indeed that include the term “summer” or “été” in the job title, excluding postings with job titles that also include “intern” or “internship”. We track internship postings separately tallying the presence of the latter two terms in job titles. This method doesn’t capture the full extent of seasonal demand but provides a gauge of recent trends and how season postings compare to the prior year. 

The number of job postings on Indeed, whether related to paid or unpaid job solicitations, is not indicative of potential revenue or earnings of Indeed, which comprises a significant percentage of the HR Technology segment of its parent company, Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd. Job posting numbers are provided for information purposes only and should not be viewed as an indicator of performance of Indeed or Recruit. Please refer to the Recruit Holdings investor relations website and regulatory filings in Japan for more detailed information on revenue generation by Recruit’s HR Technology segment.