New BrunswickFredericton high schooler Matthew Jeon struggled to find a summer job to help him save money for university. So, he decided to create an online job board for New Brunswick high school students experiencing the same problem. Statistics Canada research from May shows 20% of youth reported unemploymentHannah Rudderham · CBC News · Posted: Dec 13, 2025 5:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 5 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.Matthew Jeon started his own job board for high schoolers but is still trying to recruit employers and students for the platform. (Hannah Rudderham/CBC)When Fredericton High School student Matthew Jeon wanted to start saving money for university, he started applying for summer jobs.But his search was unsuccessful for two summers in a row. Along the way, he noticed many applications were more geared toward college or university students.After submitting applications online, he would follow up in person — still with no results. Then, he started browsing online job banks, wishing there was some sort of website targeted specifically toward high schoolers.“My friends were telling me they had the same problem,” said Matthew. “So I realized, like, this is an actual issue.”Matthew Jeon said employers can upload available opportunities for student users to browse. Students can upload their profiles, which employers can also look through. (Aniekan Etuhube/CBC)In response to the problem that Matthew and his friends were facing, he started creating a website on the platform Wix last year that would host jobs and high school applications.A year later, during this past summer, he worked with a mentor to learn coding techniques and make a more legitimate-looking website called histudentjobs.com.The website allows employers to target New Brunswick high school students by posting job ads to the site. Employers can also browse student profiles and share their jobs with eligible students. Students who sign up can browse jobs and submit their applications through the site. Another portal allows teachers and employers to upload reference letters for students on the site.WATCH | ‘I think it’s important for the employers and the students’:Fredericton student creates website to help high schoolers find summer jobsMatthew Jeon struggled to find a summer job and after talking to his friends, realized he wasn’t alone. So, he created a website that could act as a bridge between high school students and New Brunswick employers. Matthew’s website also includes a section for volunteer opportunities. As a current volunteer at the Fredericton Public Library, Matthew decided a volunteer portal could provide more options for students. Matthew said he is still trying to recruit students and employers for his site and prove that it’s legit. But he hopes that it will take off and that he will be able to expand it beyond New Brunswick to students across Atlantic Canada.“I have nobody who’s kind of like backing me,” he said. “You could say it just looks like something that a high school student just made for fun.”Youth unemployment at 9-year record highTricia Williams, director of research at the Future Skills Centre at Toronto Metropolitan University, said Matthew’s summer job struggle is not an isolated anecdote and it’s something that is being felt by young people across the country.“We see that youth unemployment is ticking upwards,” said Williams. “Every time we get a labour force survey, we see that number going up. You know, it recently reached a nine-year record high.”She cited Statistics Canada research from May that showed one in five young people aged 15-24 were unemployed.“These are young people who want … need some money [for their] education,” she said. “This is a critical time, and you’re seeing 20 per cent of them saying, ‘I’d like a job and I can’t find one.’”Tricia Williams, director of research at the Future Skills Centre at Toronto Metropolitan University, said youth across the country are having difficulties finding a job. (Denise Militzer)There are a few contributing factors, said Williams. She said currently, there is a bit of an economic “slowdown” and some business confidence might be down as businesses try to navigate trade disputes and a reduction in consumer spending — leading to a reduction or pause in hiring. Another factor, she said, is that a lot of jobs that used to be considered “entry level” have been replaced by automation. For example, data entry jobs are few and far between.As well, she said Canada tends to have a very highly-educated workforce. So during labour disruption periods, people start competing for jobs with those who have degrees or more work experience.She said this is why it’s important for the government to be focusing on youth employment, such as with its latest “Youth Climate Corps” announcement.“We realize that the market pressures alone are going to potentially leave young people behind … and no amount of hustle or whatever can solve for that,” said Williams.Another issue, she said, is that the young people most at risk of encountering this problem are those who have fewer networking resources or don’t know somebody that owns a business and is willing to take them on. “It has the risk of further marginalizing people who are already struggling or maybe don’t have the kind of social capital and networks to network their way to an entry-level position.”For Matthew, he hopes his website will fill a gap in the job-search market and allow employers to more easily find students who are ready and willing to work.Currently, he needs to approve those who sign up for the site and post to ensure that the postings are legitimate.And while he plans to go to university for business after finishing high school this year, his little sister, Hanna, who recently started in Grade 9, is more than willing to step up and take over if university life becomes too busy.“I want to keep histudentjobs going as much as I can,” he said.ABOUT THE AUTHORHannah Rudderham is a reporter with CBC New Brunswick. She grew up in Cape Breton, N.S., and moved to Fredericton in 2018. You can send story tips to hannah.rudderham@cbc.ca.
Unable to find a summer job, N.B. teen creates job board for students like him
