Global youth unemployment increased in 2025 as weaker economic growth, geopolitical tensions and sluggish job creation made it harder for young people to find work, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said on Wednesday, warning that AI could add to mounting labour market pressures.
The global unemployment rate among 15-to-24-year-olds rose to 12.4% last year from 12.3% in 2023, equivalent to 67-million 15-to-24-year-olds worldwide, according to a new report by the UN labour agency.
The increase marked a reversal of improvements seen after the Covid-19 pandemic and reflected a deterioration in both the quantity and quality of jobs available to young workers, the report said.
The ILO said the share of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) also edged higher to 20%, representing more than 257-million people.
"The picture is worsening almost universally," the report said, noting that youth unemployment increased between 2023 and 2025 in eight of the world's 11 subregions. Rates also rose across high-income, lower-middle-income and low-income countries.
