International Labour Organisation concerned about number of young people without jobs
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has expressed concern about the number of young people who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET) despite a decrease in youth unemployment.
The ILO shared its findings on Monday, highlighting that the recovery in employment following the Covid-19 pandemic has been uneven. Many young people, particularly women and those in certain regions, have not benefited from the economic recovery.
While the labour market outlook for young people globally has improved over the past four years, and this upward trend is expected to continue for another two years, the youth unemployment rate remains at 13 per cent, and 64.9 million young people are unemployed, based on data for 2023.
"The picture is not the same across regions"
This is the lowest number in 15 years and a decrease from 13.8 per cent compared to before the pandemic. The ILO expects the rate to decline to 12.8 per cent this year and in 2025.
"However, the picture is not the same across regions," the ILO says. "In the Arab States, East Asia and Southeast Asia and the Pacific, youth unemployment was higher in 2023 than in 2019."
The ILO also warns in the study that young people face other setbacks in their pursuit of work. "Too many young people worldwide are NEET, and opportunities to find decent work remain limited in emerging and developing countries. One in five young people worldwide were NEET in 2023. Two in three of these NEETs were women."
Economic disparity
The report emphasises a lack of progress in finding decent jobs for the young people who are working. Only in high- and upper-middle-income economies do the majority of young workers have permanent, regular employment. Three in four young workers in low-income countries are only self-employed or have temporary paid employment.
The ILO warns that persistently high NEET rates and the insufficient supply of decent jobs are raising concerns among young people, who have never been so highly educated.
The ILO report calls for greater attention to strengthening the foundations of decent work as a way to counter young people's fears about the world of work and to strengthen their hopes for a better future. "Without equal opportunities for education and decent work, millions of young people are missing out on a better future," said ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo.
© PHOTO IMAGO
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