It adds that even the lucrative summer months were a bust, with young people's hours of work hitting 30-year lows.

The report, from the Community Foundations of Canada, says youth unemployment rose from 10.7 per cent in January 2008 to 16.3 per cent by this summer.

As of August 2009, it adds, employment among youths was falling faster than any other age group.

Among students looking for summer jobs, 19.2 per cent were unemployed this summer, and for those who found work, the average number of work hours of 23.4 per week was the lowest in more than 30 years.