July 29, 2025
RED FM News Desk
As summer job seekers flood the market, the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) has received an unprecedented 54,000 online job applications for over 5,000 seasonal positions — the highest number in its history. The flood of interest comes just ahead of CNE’s annual in-person job fair, taking place Wednesday at the Enercare Centre at Exhibition Place in Toronto.
The overwhelming response reflects growing concern among young Canadians struggling to find work. According to Statistics Canada, the national youth unemployment rate for ages 14 to 24 sits at around 14%, while in Ontario, nearly one in four teens aged 14 to 19 is unemployed.
The CNE job fair opens at 11 a.m. and offers opportunities in food service, retail, midway operations, games, and customer service. In-person interviews with CNE vendors and partners will be conducted throughout the day, helping fill roles ahead of the fair’s opening on August 15.
In 2023, the CNE employed over 5,000 staff — 81% of whom were youth aged 14 to 29. The fair also made efforts to support inclusiveness: 78% of staff identified as visible minorities, and 15% identified as living with a disability.
As one of Toronto’s largest seasonal employers, the CNE generates approximately $112 million annually in economic activity for the Greater Toronto Area and $143 million for Ontario. Its popularity continues to grow nearly 1.5 million visitors attended in 2024, following a record-breaking 1.6 million in 2023.
Organizers say this year’s hiring push is crucial to delivering another successful run of the exhibition while also supporting local employment — especially for the youth hit hardest by current economic conditions.
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