OTTAWA — A new report argues the rise of gig work, artificial intelligence and rapid population growth are souring job prospects for Canada's youngest workers.

The Desjardins Economics report, released Thursday, comes as Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre cites decades-high youth unemployment levels to attack an immigration program for temporary foreign workers.

Statistics Canada's latest labour force survey shows the unemployment rate for young people aged 15 to 24 hit 14.6 per cent in July — a nearly 15-year high outside of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Desjardins report said that the recent rise in youth unemployment is more typical of recessions.

Drilling down deeper into the youth cohort, StatCan said returning students aged 15 and 16 faced an unemployment rate of 31.4 per cent in

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