Geneva – New York: Europe and the Arabs

The global youth unemployment rate is projected to rise to 12.4% in 2025, representing 67 million young people aged 15 to 24, according to a new report from the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The report explains that stagnant economic growth and weak job creation are increasing the barriers preventing young people from entering the labor market, pushing more of them out of employment, education, or training.

The report, titled "Global Youth Employment Trends 2026: Back to the Future," shows that the proportion of young people not in employment, education, or training will rise slightly to 20% in 2025, affecting more than 257 million young people.

It adds that between 2023 and 2025, youth unemployment rates increased in eight of the world's eleven sub-regions.

“A generation without decent work cannot build a future with confidence,” said Gilbert Houngbo, Director-General of the ILO. “When young people are denied good jobs, countries lose talent, productivity, and social cohesion.”

He emphasized that providing decent work opportunities for young people is not just a social imperative, but one of the smartest investments any country can make.

Key Figures:

Arab and North African countries continue to record the highest youth unemployment rates globally, with youth unemployment reaching 26.2% in Arab countries and 22.6% in North Africa.

At least one in three young people in Arab and North African countries were outside of education, employment, or training.

Nearly nine out of ten young workers aged 15 to 29 in low-income and lower-middle-income countries are employed in the informal sector. In North America, youth unemployment rates rose sharply, climbing from 8.3% in 2023 to 9.8% in 2025.

In Northern, Southern, and Western Europe, youth unemployment remained high at 15% in 2025. Artificial Intelligence and Job Opportunities

The report concluded that technological change, including advances in artificial intelligence, is transforming opportunities for young workers.

It added that 6.1% of jobs held by young people aged 15 to 29 are in occupations highly affected by AI-related changes, noting that many of these jobs overlap with middle-skilled occupations, which have seen a decline in youth employment since 2023, particularly clerical and administrative roles.

It explained that, at the same time, demand continues to grow for certain knowledge-based technical occupations in fields such as science, health, and engineering, highlighting the importance of ensuring young people acquire the skills needed for an evolving labor market. The Road to Decent Work

The ILO report called for the following:

Adopting a human-centered approach to AI governance to ensure that innovation creates opportunities rather than exacerbating inequalities.
Investing in quality education, lifelong learning, and apprenticeship programs.
Strengthening employment services and labor market institutions to support young people's transition to the workforce, with a particular focus on young women.
Expanding social protection and guaranteeing rights at work, especially for young people in vulnerable situations.
Creating more decent work opportunities through supportive policies at both the macro and sectoral levels.