How can we future proof the youth workforce in cities?

The future of work is here: Are our cities ready?

Picture this: It’s 2030, and cities across Canada are bustling with young professionals working in emerging industries, collaborating across sectors, and driving economic growth. Sounds a bit utopian, but at Youthful Cities we believe it’s possible. But how do we get there? The future of work isn’t waiting—it’s evolving now, and cities must adapt to ensure young people can thrive to ensure their local economies grow.

Our DEVlab project has dug deep into what makes a dynamic, engaged, and vital workforce for youth. We’ve been using our advanced data analysis tools to sift through mountains of data, and over the past weeks, we’ve been sharing the most important discoveries we’ve made! This week, we’re focusing on the future of work for young people. Get ready for some serious insights:

• The Workforce Mismatch – Youth want stable, well-paying jobs, but cities aren’t always aligned with their career aspirations.
• Digital Transformation – AI and automation are reshaping jobs, and youth need skills to keep up.
• Affordability – A workforce can’t thrive if housing eats up all their income.
• Wrap-Around Supports – Success at work requires more than just a paycheck—it takes mental health support, accessible transit, and fair wages.

So, how do we ensure that city workforces are dynamic, engaged, and vital workforces for everyone, including youth?

The workforce mismatch: Where youth want to work vs. Where jobs are

Over the past five years, we’ve seen a major industry shift among youth workers. More young people are moving away from sectors like nonprofits, small businesses, and education, favouring larger for-profit companies and government roles. Why? Stability, benefits, and competitive wages.

But here’s the challenge: Cities aren’t always equipped to support these shifts. Some regions are rich in emerging industries like green tech and digital finance, while others lag behind. Our data show that youth are increasingly interested in business, finance, the green economy, and digital fields—but job opportunities aren’t evenly distributed.

How can cities and youth create a win-win future? The answer lies in collaboration. Cities and young people can co-create workforce development strategies that expand youth skillsets, helping them integrate into key industries. Cities can also provide targeted incentives that encourage youth to pursue careers aligned with local economic needs. By working together, we can build a future where both young talent and cities thrive.

The digital transformation: AI’s impact on youth work

AI and automation are reshaping the job market, and youth are taking notice. 

“At my workplace, we actually explore the use of AI, not really to replace jobs, but augment them. How do we make sure that people are knowledgeable about that skill area to use that, rather than to just focus on replacement arguments. Focus on changing job occupations, creating new jobs, things like that.” – Youth, Toronto

Our data shows that 86% of young people believe AI skills are crucial for their future careers. But there’s also anxiety—particularly among racialized youth—about job displacement due to automation.

What’s the solution? Governments can integrate AI and digital literacy into early education and workforce training. That means upskilling opportunities, better access to tech training, and policies that ensure AI creates more opportunities rather than barriers for youth employment. Despite ongoing investments in AI and AI literacy programs, many young people remain underserved. The lack of standardization and uneven distribution of these initiatives across communities creates significant awareness gaps, potentially leaving some youth excluded from the benefits of AI education.

Affordable housing: a cornerstone for workforce stability

A city’s workforce can’t thrive if its young people can’t afford to live there. Our data reveal a staggering median youth budget deficit of $800/month in Canada, with over 50% of youth experiencing housing-related stress.

Housing affordability is a workforce issue. Without access to affordable living, young workers are forced to leave cities, even if there are jobs there. It disrupts local economies and talent pipelines. Treating affordable youth housing as a key workforce strategy may mean looking at policies to support accessible rental options, co-living initiatives, and youth-friendly housing developments. Women, racialized, Black, Indigenous and youth with disabilities all report up to 15% greater difficulties finding affordable housing. That means the strongest impact for young people will be found when designing a solution that serves these community groups.

“…it’s really the price of housing, that’s what’s difficult for a young person. Because that means, if you’re a city and you want to develop this or that industry [for] economic development, but..It’s not very attractive when you can’t afford to live, right?” -Montreal Youth 

Wrap-around supports & collaborative ecosystems

A job alone isn’t enough—youth need holistic support to succeed in the workforce. That means mental health resources, fair wages, reliable public transportation, and workplace environments that foster growth and inclusion.

Governments, businesses, and educational institutions can work together to build sustainable work ecosystems where young people can thrive. Cross-sector collaboration is key to creating cities that truly support youth in meaningful, lasting ways.

“Cities can provide… more publicly funded… workshops for training that offer practical work.” – Youth, Vancouver

Using data to drive solutions: How youth, organizations and governments can leverage data tools

We have the data on the challenges youth face in the workforce, sure. But understanding it to take action? That’s where Youth Data Lab comes in. By bringing together real youth voices, survey insights, and city rankings, this interactive platform gives young people, support organizations, and policymakers the information they need to make informed decisions about the future of work.

So, how can these tools be used in real life? Let’s explore two scenarios:

Example 1: Navigating affordability and career opportunities – A youth perspective

Meet Alex, a 24-year-old living in Toronto. They love the city’s energy, career opportunities, and diverse culture—but the affordability crisis is making it nearly impossible to stay. With rent, groceries, and transit costs stacking up, Alex is constantly stretching their paycheck, and saving for the future feels out of reach.

Looking for options, Alex turns to the Youth Data Lab. Using insights from the Urban Work Index, they explore cities with better affordability while still offering strong job prospects. The data reveals that places like Québec City, Laval, Ottawa-Gatineau, Windsor, Kelowna, Victoria, and St. Catharines-Niagara rank far higher in affordability than Toronto. But there’s more to consider—what about career growth, transit access, and local culture?

To narrow it down, Alex uses Youth Chart’s psychographic clusters, which help them reflect on what they value most. Are they more focused on economic stability? Social impact? Work-life balance? By aligning their priorities with data-driven insights, Alex gets a clearer picture of the trade-offs they’re willing to make.

Considering leaving the city to find a new job felt daunting and lonely. Alex turns to Youth Cite, a tool that shares experiences and perspectives from young people across the country on working conditions and urban challenges. Through these stories, Alex gains insight into what their peers value—more green spaces, mentorship opportunities, and job-seeking resources. It helps them feel less alone and more empowered to navigate this big decision.

Armed with this knowledge, they weigh their options: Should they move for a better financial future, or stay and advocate for change in their city? Either way, the data gives them the power to make an informed decision—one that puts their needs and ambitions first.

Example 2: How cities can use data to improve youth employment opportunities

Cities have a big role to play in shaping the future of work. Take Toronto, for example—despite ranking highly in job availability, the city ranked #8 in the “Good Youth Jobs” category in the Urban Work Index—meaning there’s room for improvement.

Toronto city officials, youth advocates, and policymakers wanted to dig deeper. What barriers were youth facing in the job market? What types of jobs were actually accessible? Turning to Youth Cite, they analyzed firsthand accounts from Toronto youth about their struggles to find work. Many shared stories of sending out countless job applications without responses, encountering job postings requiring years of experience for “entry-level” roles, and feeling underprepared despite having post-secondary education.

Recognizing this skills gap, policymakers turned to Youth Chart to assess what skills young people across Canada felt were most important for the future. A key insight emerged: 46% of youth believed learning about AI and related technical skills was critical for career preparation—the highest-ranked response in the ‘What’s up with work, lately?’ survey.

With this data in hand, the city could now make evidence-based decisions—such as investing in AI literacy programs, expanding experiential learning opportunities, and collaborating with employers to create entry-level roles that don’t require excessive experience. By using Youth Data Lab, policymakers gained a clear picture of both the challenges and the solutions needed to support youth in the workforce.

Take action: Use data to shape your future

Whether you’re a young person trying to decide where to live and work, or a policymaker looking to improve employment conditions in your city, Youth Data Lab is a powerful tool for making informed decisions.

📊 Explore your city’s strengths and challenges through the Urban Work Index
📈 Compare your skills with national trends using Youth Chart
🗣 Learn from real youth experiences with Youth Cite

Data alone won’t solve the challenges of youth employment, affordability, and workplace equity—but using data to drive action can. Let’s start shaping cities that work for youth. It will benefit all of us.

Visit Youth Data Lab today and see how data can help you build your future.