Hire a youth this summer through Canada Summer Jobs

Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) 2026 is a business wage subsidy program designed to help pay the salaries for summer jobs created for youth between the ages of 15 and 30. The program is not restricted to students; it provides incentives to businesses that offer roles to youth facing barriers to employment, or that meet certain national priorities. Businesses can receive a reimbursement of up to 50% of the provincial/territorial minimum wage.

Deadline to apply: December 11, 2025. (11:59 p.m., Pacific Standard Time)

Notification of funding confirmations: Starting April 2026

Quick facts:

• The subsidy is only available for new hires. Youth cannot be hired before approval is received from Service Canada, and they cannot start before April 20, 2026
• Employers must ensure compliance with health and safety measures in accordance with municipal, provincial, and federal public health guidance.
• Employers and youth participants will be asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their experience with the CSJ program. Completion is mandatory for employer participants, but optional for the youth participants (however, the employer must provide the youth with the questionnaire).
• All Canada Summer Jobs-funded positions will be automatically posted on the Job Bank.
• Wages of a family member will only be reimbursed if the program agrees in writing before commencement of the job, that the participant is the best candidate for the job and their hiring was not the result of favouritism.

Eligibility

The government sets out several criteria to apply for funding, including:

• You must have 50 or fewer full-time (30 hours or more/week) employees across Canada.
• You must provide full-time work experience (minimum 30 hours per week) in Canada for a minimum of 6 weeks, and a maximum of 16 weeks, between April 20, 2026, and August 29, 2026.
• The job must provide meaningful work experience for the youth, supporting skills acquisition and development.
  • See here for more information about what the government considers to be a “quality job placement”.
• You must provide an inclusive, non-discriminatory work environment that respects the rights of all Canadians.
• You must be registered with CRA and have a payroll deductions program account (RP) prior to hiring through the Canada Summer Jobs program.

When making your application, it’s important to demonstrate a link between the job tasks and responsibilities and the national and local priorities.

National Priorities

Jobs that provide:

• work experience related to construction
• work experience related to green jobs and environmental protection
• exposure to technology and digital skills, including opportunities to develop foundational artificial intelligence skills in the workplace

Local priorities are determined by constituency. You can find out what the priorities are in your area by visiting the local priorities information page.

How to apply

The application deadline is December 11, 2025, at 11.59pm Pacific Standard Time/2.59am Eastern Standard Time)

There are 4 ways to apply:

• Using the online fillable application;
• Using Grants and Contributions Online Services (GCOS);
• In person; and
• By mail.

It is strongly recommended to use either the online fillable application or GCOS. Mailed applications could be impacted by the Canada Post service disruption. All applications must be received or stamped by December 11, 2025. 

Further application information, including addresses, is available on the Canada Summer Jobs site.

Important dates to know

Applications will be accepted up until December 11, 2025, at 11.59pm Pacific Standard Time. To learn more and access the application guide and form, visit Canada Summer Jobs 2025.  

The earliest job start date is April 20, 2026, and the latest is July 20, 2026. The latest job end date is August 29, 2026.

The deadline to submit a payment claim is 30 days after the last day of the Canada Summer Jobs placement.

For questions or clarifications contact Canada Summer Jobs by phone

Toll-free: 1-800-935-5555
TTY: 1-800-926-9105

If you are found to be ineligible for the program, please contact our Business Advisors to share your story. We also encourage you to contact your MP, to let them know how being declined for the program will impact your business.