After post-pandemic improvement, youth unemployment is rising again
A new report published Tuesday by the UN’s International Labour Organization (ILO) found that worldwide youth unemployment rebounded after the COVID-19 pandemic but is now beginning to worsen again, leaving millions unable to get that crucial first job.After sinking to a two-decade low in 2023, global youth unemployment – covering the 15 to 24 age bracket – ticked up to 12.4 per cent in 2025, totalling 67 million jobless worldwide.The global share of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) also rose from 19.7 per cent in 2023 to 20 per cent in 2025, bringing the total to 257 million worldwide.NEET status reflects people who have disengaged from the labor market entirely, making it harder to reverse.“A generation that cannot find decent work cannot build its future with confidence,” ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo said. “When young people are locked out of quality employment, countries lose talent, productivity and social cohesion. Creating decent jobs for young people is not just a social imperative, it is one of the smartest investments a country can make.”
© ILO/Berke Arakli
A young man learns new skills as a car mechanics apprentice in Turkey.
