Global youth unemployment rises amid sluggish job creation and looming AI risk, UN labour agency says

The International Labour Organisation said on Wednesday that global youth unemployment increased in 2025 as weaker economic growth, geopolitical tensions, and sluggish job creation made it harder for young people to find work, warning that AI could add to mounting labour market pressures. The global unemployment rate among 15-to-24-year-olds rose to 12.4% last year from 12.3% in 2023, equivalent to 67 million 15-to-24-year-olds worldwide. The increase marked a reversal of improvements seen after the COVID-19 pandemic and reflected a deterioration in both the quantity and quality of jobs available to young workers.

The ILO also stated that the share of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) edged higher to 20%, representing more than 257 million people. The report noted that youth unemployment increased between 2023 and 2025 in eight of the world's 11 subregions, and rates also rose across high-income, lower-middle-income, and low-income countries. Youth unemployment was highest in the Arab States at 26.2%, followed by Northern Africa at 22.6%. In North America, youth unemployment climbed to 9.8% in 2025 from 8.3% in 2023, and across Northern, Southern, and Western Europe, the rate stood at 15%. The agency highlighted the decline of middle-skilled jobs, including clerical, administrative, sales, and manufacturing roles.