Many young people still have a bad hand on the job market. According to a study, the number of unemployed has risen particularly in Arab countries and parts of Asia. The situation is much better in Europe.
According to a report by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the global labour market prospects for young people have improved only slightly over the past four years. Worldwide, one in five young people (20.4 percent) are neither employed nor in education or training.
The ILO examined the employment of the 15- to 24-year-old age group in 2023. According to the UN specialised agency, the figure has only improved by three percentage points since the surveys began in 2005.
Especially young women without jobs and training
Women in particular and some regions have not benefited from the positive development, writes the ILO. Overall, two thirds of young people who are neither in employment nor in vocational training are women.
The picture is somewhat more positive when it comes to the number of young unemployed. According to the ILO, the proportion has fallen to its lowest level since surveys began in 2005. According to the ILO, 13 percent of 15- to 24-year-olds were unemployed last year. The figure is also lower than in 2019, the year before the pandemic brought economic uncertainty worldwide, reports the ILO.
Arab countries and parts of Asia with more unemployed
However, these positive data only apply to some regions. While young people in the USA and parts of Europe had almost no problems finding work, the proportion of unemployed young people increased in the Arab countries and in East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific, according to the ILO. In these regions, their situation has worsened compared to the year before the pandemic outbreak.
According to the ILO, 64.9 million young people worldwide were unemployed in 2023. The statistics only include young people who are actively looking for work.
Many young people in informal jobs
The ILO's main criticism is that in many countries there has been too little progress in creating decent jobs for young people. Worldwide, more than half of young workers are employed informally, the organization criticizes. Only in high and middle income countries do the majority of young workers today have a regular, secure job.
Many young people are also worried about their jobs, the report says. Two thirds fear losing their jobs. Young people are often employed on temporary contracts and are the first to be laid off in times of crisis.
ILO: More Training places create
“This shows that there is something wrong with our labor markets,” said Gilbert Houngbo, Director General of the UN organization. The ILO called on its 187 member states to offer more training places and to ensure that young people learn what is needed in the labor market.
“Peaceful societies are built on three core ingredients: stability, inclusion and social justice,” Houngbo said. “Decent work for youth is at the heart of all three.”
