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Canada’s economy faces growing scrutiny after new data revealed significant job losses in February. Statistics Canada reported a total of 84,000 jobs lost, pushing the national unemployment rate to 6.7 per cent. Youth unemployment is particularly concerning, approaching 14 per cent.

Conservative MP Garnett Genuis said the figures underscore deeper economic problems that may not be reflected in headline GDP growth. “If you sync out the full-time and part-time numbers, over 100,000 full-time jobs were lost,” Genuis said. “Nearly 50,000 of those losses were youth jobs, ages 15 to 24. These first jobs are critical—they’re not just about income, they’re about getting your start on the ladder of learning and experience. Youth who miss those initial milestones face long-term challenges.”

Genuis warned that the official GDP growth numbers could mask individual economic struggles, pointing to high population growth and immigration as factors that inflate overall economic activity while per-capita conditions decline.

He also criticized aspects of the temporary foreign worker and international student programs, which he says contribute to competition for entry-level positions, limiting opportunities for Canadian youth.

He says we should be assisting youth here in Canada, accessing those entry-level positions.

The MP said reforms to immigration, job training, and broader economic policy are needed to strengthen employment prospects, particularly for younger Canadians trying to enter the workforce.

These numbers aren’t just statistics—they represent real Canadians struggling to find work and start their careers. 

He says, "What's important for us to do is to point people to what the practical realities are. What are the real impacts of government policy on your life? And who is putting forward a real plan that's going to make your life better?"