Youth unemployment has climbed worldwide after improving during the post-pandemic recovery, a new report from the UN's International Labour Organization found Tuesday. Global youth unemployment, measured among people aged 15 to 24, rose to 12.4 per cent in 2025 after reaching a two-decade low of 12.4 per cent in 2023, affecting 67 million jobless young people worldwide.
The share of young people not in employment, education or training also increased from 19.7 per cent in 2023 to 20 per cent in 2025, totalling 257 million globally. The ILO said NEET status reflects people who have disengaged from the labor market entirely, making reversals harder to achieve.
Youth unemployment worsened or remained flat in eight of 11 global subregions between 2023 and 2025, with 105 countries experiencing increases compared with 58 seeing declines. The Arab States and North Africa recorded the world's highest youth unemployment rates at 26.2 and 22.6 per cent respectively, while North America saw the most pronounced increase, climbing from 8.3 per cent to 9.8 per cent.
The ILO identified slower global economic growth, geopolitical tensions, artificial intelligence's effects on entry-level jobs, shortages of new highly-skilled positions and the "experience paradox"—employers demanding extensive experience for entry-level roles—as contributing factors. Jobs traditionally providing entry points for young workers in higher-income countries are shrinking, while developing regions lack sufficient employment to meet growing populations. Nearly nine in ten young workers aged 15 to 29 in low and lower-middle-income countries work informally, often without meaningful social protections.
The report recommended adopting a human-centered approach to AI governance, investing in quality education, strengthening employment services, expanding social protection and creating more decent job opportunities. Fields like science, health and engineering continue to grow worldwide, the ILO noted.
