After post-pandemic improvement, youth unemployment is rising again
A new report from the International Labour Organization indicates that global youth unemployment is rising again after a post-pandemic decline. In 2025, 67 million young people were unemployed, with significant increases observed in North America and other regions.
Why it matters
Rising youth unemployment threatens long-term economic productivity and social stability globally.
Frustrated by skyrocketing youth unemployment, among other issues, tens of thousands of Gen Z activists took to the streets of Nepal last year, demanding a stake in the country’s economic growth. The protest worked and the prime minister resigned.
A new report published Tuesday by the UN’s International Labour Organization ( ILO ) found that worldwide youth unemployment rebounded after the COVID-19 pandemic but is now beginning to worsen again, leaving millions unable to get that crucial first job .
After sinking to a two-decade low in 2023, global youth unemployment – covering the 15 to 24 age bracket – ticked up to 12.4 per cent in 2025, totalling 67 million jobless worldwide .
The global share of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) also rose from 19.7 per cent in 2023 to 20 per cent in 2025, bringing the total to 257 million worldwide.
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