The big picture: Canadian youth's math proficiency has significantly declined over the past two decades, jeopardizing the nation's goal of building a knowledge economy and fulfilling its STEM job targets.

Why it matters: This educational downturn directly impacts the future talent pool for critical STEM fields, creating a looming skills gap that will affect staffing, innovation, and economic competitiveness.

Between the lines:

• Canadian 15-year-olds' math scores have declined across all provinces since 2009, with the weakest students experiencing the most significant losses.
• STEM readiness, defined by PISA scores, has dropped from nearly 50% in 2009 to just 25% in 2025.
• This decline translates to approximately 66,000 fewer young people annually prepared for post-secondary STEM education.

Staffing & HR impact: Staffing firms will face increased challenges sourcing qualified STEM talent, potentially driving up recruitment costs and impacting margins. HR departments will need to invest more in upskilling and reskilling programs to compensate for the shrinking pipeline.

The bottom line: Canada's economic future hinges on addressing its educational shortcomings to secure a robust STEM workforce.