The Index

The Urban Work Index will rank 27 CMAs* (consisting of 46 cities) to find the best places in Canada for people ages 15 – 29 to work and live. 

The Index will examine 101 indicators across 10 topics that make a city a great place to work and live. The primary 5 topics make up the ecosystem of work — Education + Training, Affordability, Good Youth Jobs, Entrepreneurial Spirit,  and City Economy. The secondary topics make up urban attractions for work — Equity + Diversity, Climate Change, Public Health, Public Transportation, and Digital Access.

The measurements for the 2023 Index have been completely revised and updated to make them as accurate and relevant as possible. The results will be used by young people making a decision about where to work and by cities trying to attract a youthful workforce.

Subscribe to our newsletter and follow our socials to get the latest Urban Work updates.

_{*As per Statistics Canada: “A census metropolitan area (CMA) or a census agglomeration (CA) is formed by one or more adjacent municipalities centred on a population centre (known as the core). A CMA must have a total population of at least 100,000 of which 50,000 or more must live in the core based on adjusted data from the previous Census of Population Program. A CA must have a core population of at least 10,000 also based on data from the previous Census of Population Program. To be included in the CMA or CA, other adjacent municipalities must have a high degree of integration with the core, as measured by commuting flows derived from data on place of work from the previous Census Program.”}