A new report suggests Edmonton is the best Canadian city for young people to work.
The YouthfulCities Canadian Urban Work Index — funded by RBC Future Launch — named Alberta’s capital the best place for youth to work among 21 Canadian cities based on 48 urban work indicators.
Edmonton scored 713.86 points out of a possible 1,310 available points.
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YouthfulCities said it used a “youth-driven” definition for work that included education, entrepreneurship, affordability and employment. Edmonton’s greatest strength was its consistency in all four themes, according to the report.
“Being recognized as the best Canadian city for youth to work reflects the fact that we are one of the youngest cities full of economic opportunity, entrepreneurial spirit and access to education — all in all, providing great conditions for young people to thrive,” Mayor Don Iveson said.
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YouthfulCities said with 87 per cent of Canadian youth — aged 15 to 29 — living in cities, it is aiming to create a way for youth to explore the best cities to work.
“Clearly, we can, and we need to do more. We need to spark a national dialogue on the future of urban work and youth’s critical role in it,” YouthfulCities co-founder Robert Barnard said.
YouthfulCities said it hopes the new index will challenge Canadian cities to make youth employment a priority and make it a goal to have youth unemployment below six per cent by 2024.
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Montreal and Ottawa were second and third on the list respectively.
Calgary was 13th out of 21 cities in the report.
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