Global youth unemployment reaches 12.4% as job opportunities remain under pressure
Global youth unemployment rose to 12.4% in 2025, affecting around 67 million people aged between 15 and 24, according to the International Labour Organization’s latest report on youth employment trends.
The report, titled Global Employment Trends for Youth 2026: Back to the Future, also highlights a slight increase in the proportion of young people who are neither employed nor in education or training. This group reached 20% of the global youth population, representing more than 257 million people.
The International Labour Organization attributes the deterioration to weaker economic growth and slower job creation. These conditions are making it increasingly difficult for young people to enter the labour market and establish sustainable career paths.
Some of the sharpest increases in youth unemployment have been recorded in advanced economies. In North America, the rate climbed from 8.3% in 2023 to 9.8% in 2025. Meanwhile, youth unemployment remained particularly high across Northern, Southern and Western Europe, reaching around 15%.
The report notes that employment prospects for young people have deteriorated in many European countries. In 20 of the 29 countries examined in the region, the number of employment opportunities available to young workers declined.
In developing economies, however, a low unemployment rate does not necessarily indicate better conditions. Many young people are forced to accept informal, temporary or insecure jobs because they cannot afford to remain unemployed.
Informal employment remains especially widespread in lower-income countries. The ILO estimates that approximately nine out of ten employed people aged 15 to 29 in low-income and lower-middle-income economies work in the informal sector. Such employment often provides limited access to stable earnings, social protection and long-term career development.
Another challenge highlighted by the report is the decline in the availability of middle-skilled jobs. This trend is making it harder for young workers to find stable career opportunities, particularly in administrative positions and several occupations linked to services, sales, manufacturing and technical fields.
The situation illustrates a broader challenge facing labour markets worldwide. Economic growth alone may not be sufficient to improve employment prospects for younger generations if new jobs do not provide adequate stability, skills development and social protection.
For policymakers, the findings underline the importance of investing in education, vocational training and employment programmes while encouraging the creation of quality jobs. Strengthening the transition from education to work could also help prevent millions of young people from becoming disconnected from both employment and training.
The ILO’s latest assessment suggests that addressing youth unemployment will remain a major global economic and social priority, particularly as labour markets continue to evolve under the impact of technological change, economic uncertainty and shifting demand for skills.
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