Young Workers and the Public Service Purge

In this episode of The Missing Middle, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down the massive wave of federal public service job cuts and how they’re slamming young Canadians the hardest. From thousands of lost student and contract jobs to long-term impacts on housing, wages, and health, they reveal how a shrinking government workforce could shut an entire generation out of shaping Canada’s future. They also dive into what this means for unions, the economy, and why real public service reform must include young voices. If you care about youth employment and the future of Canada’s workforce, you don’t want to miss this!Chapters00:00 Introduction01:00 Federal public service job cuts explained02:54 Our Video03:46 The cohort effect and some historical context05:12 The lack of young public sector workers in shaping policy07:15 Mike’s experience in the federal public service09:26 The talent vacuum10:30 The effects of graduating in a recession12:26 Ripple effects in the broader economy13:45 Graduating in a recession can impact your health16:30 Job hoarding and the role of unions20:24 Future perspectivesResearch/links:Federal public service job cuts fall heavily on young workersSabrina Maddeaux: Striking union should ditch anti-millennial contract demandHow Colleges Broke Canadian ImmigrationThe Short- and Long-Term Career Effects of Graduating in a RecessionLife-Cycle Impacts of Graduating in a RecessionHosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina MaddeauxProduced by Meredith MartinFunded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/