The International Labour Organization (ILO) recently highlighted the importance of creating enough decent jobs to address demographic trends, particularly the African ‚youthquake‘. According to the ILO, millions of young people worldwide are facing challenges in finding decent work, with global youth unemployment falling to 13 per cent in 2023. However, this recovery has been uneven, with youth unemployment rates rising in regions such as East Asia, the Arab States, and South-East Asia and the Pacific.
Sara Elder, ILO Head of Employment Analyses and Public Policies, emphasized the lack of opportunity for young people, noting that more than one in five young people were not in employment, education, or training in 2023. This situation, referred to as „NEETs“, disproportionately affects young women, with two in every three young NEETs being female.
The ILO also highlighted the challenges young people face in finding decent and secure jobs, with nearly 65 million young people worldwide being unemployed last year. The lack of social protection and prevalence of temporary jobs make it difficult for young workers to progress towards independence and stability, particularly in low-income countries.
Despite being the most educated youth cohort ever, young workers continue to face uncertainties in the job market, with two in three fearing job loss. The ILO stressed the importance of decent work as a pathway to a better future, social justice, inclusion, and peace. However, ongoing gender bias in the labour market continues to favor men over women, with disparities in youth unemployment rates and NEET rates between genders.
ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo emphasized the need for equal opportunities in education and decent jobs to ensure a stable future for all young people. Without these opportunities, millions of young people are missing out on their chances for a better future and are unable to build secure lives for themselves and their families.
The ILO’s Global Employment Trends for Youth 2024 report highlighted long-term trends in the labor market for younger workers, including the lack of high-skill jobs for educated youth in middle-income countries, limited growth in modern services and manufacturing jobs for youth, and the importance of keeping skills development aligned with the demand for green and digital skills to reduce education mismatches.
In conclusion, addressing the challenges faced by young people in the job market is crucial for social justice and the global economy. Creating opportunities for decent work and ensuring equal access to education and employment will be key in providing a brighter future for young people worldwide.