OTTAWA--High unemployment continues to be a major obstacle for students this summer. According to a Statistics Canada report released today, the unemployment rate of 17.4% for students aged 15-24 remained nearly unchanged from July 2010.

"We are reaching the end of the summer and many students have still not found work," said Roxanne Dubois, National Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. "Students who have been unlucky in their job hunt this summer will face difficult choices this September given record-high tuition fees."

Tuition fees have grown to become the single largest expense for most university and college students with average domestic tuition fees of $5,138 per year. Students currently owe near $15 billion to the federal government alone.

The situation is even worse for younger students aged 17 to 19 who are facing an unemployment rate of 17.6%.

"Younger students, who are just starting their studies, are facing very grim employment prospects and a precarious financial situation," said Dubois. "Despite some minor gains in the job market since the recession, student employment remains too high. The federal government has failed to provide necessary student employment support, and with tuition fees continuing to rise because of lack of funding, student debt will continue to increase unsustainably."

Founded in 1981, the Canadian Federation of Students is Canada's largest student organization, uniting more that one-half million students from ten provinces.