Canadian youth face uncertainty and risk as they emerge from their education to enter an economy marked by high levels of unemployment, underemployment, bad jobs, and low wages. Richard Marquardt traces patterns of coming of age in Canada since the beginning of the industrial period in the nineteenth century. Avoiding simplistic analyses that point to a single cause, such as demographics, the school system, or technological change, Enter At Your Own Risk leads to a deeper understanding of the underlying issues. It also offers constructive proposals for change. This is the first book-length study of this crucial subject.