The global labour market outlook for young people has improved in the last four years, and the upward trend is expected to continue for two more; however, unequally, a new International Labour Organisation (ILO) report found.

The report, titled Global Employment Trends for Youth 2024 (GET for Youth), warns that the number of 15- to 24-year-olds who are not in employment, education, or training (NEET) is concerning and that the post-COVID 19 pandemic employment recovery has not been universal. Moreover, the report calls for greater attention on strengthening the foundations of decent work as a pathway to countering young people’s anxieties about the world of work and reinforcing their hope for a brighter future.

The 2023 youth unemployment rate, at 13% equivalent to 64.9 million people, represents a 15-year low and a fall from the pre-pandemic rate of 13.8% in 2019. The rate is expected to fall further to 12.8% this year and next.

The report finds that in the Arab States, East Asia and South-East Asia and the Pacific, youth unemployment rates were higher in 2023 than in 2019.

“None of us can look forward to a stable future when millions of young people around the world do not have decent work and as a result, are feeling insecure and unable to build a better life for themselves and their families. Peaceful societies rely on three core ingredients: stability, inclusion, and social justice; decent work for the youth is at the heart of all three,” explained Gilbert F. Houngbo, ILO Director-General.

According to the report, one in five young people, or 20.4%, globally were NEET in 2023. Two in three of these NEETs were female.

For the youth who do work, the report found a lack of progress in gaining decent jobs. Globally, more than half of young workers are in informal employment. 

“Only in high- and upper-middle-income economies are the majority of young workers today in a regular, secure job,” The ILO said. 

And three in four young workers in low-income countries will get only a self-employed or temporary paid job, the organisation added. 

“The report reminds us that opportunities for young people are highly unequal; with many young women, young people with limited financial means, or from any minority background still struggling. Without equal opportunities for education and decent jobs, millions of young people are missing out on their chances for a better future,” added Houngbo.

Here are the conclusions of the report through looking at longer-term trends:

• Growth in “modern” services and in manufacturing jobs for youth has been limited
• There are not enough high-skill jobs for the supply of educated youth, especially in middle-income countries.
• Keeping skills development on pace with evolving demands for green and digital skills will be critical to reducing education mismatches. 
• The growing number of conflicts threatens young people’s future livelihoods and can push them into migration or extremism.
• Demographic trends, notably the African ‘youthquake’ means creating enough decent jobs, will be critical for social justice and the global economy.