International Labour Organization: Global youth unemployment rises

- Artificial intelligence may intensify mounting pressures on the labor market

The International Labour Organization (ILO) announced on Wednesday that global youth unemployment rose in 2025, as slowing economic growth, geopolitical tensions, and a downturn in job creation have exacerbated the difficulties young people face in finding work. The UN agency warned that artificial intelligence could further increase pressures on the labor market.

A new report issued by the UN-affiliated ILO showed that the global youth unemployment rate among those aged 15 to 24 rose to 12.4 percent last year, up from 12.3 percent in 2023, equating to 67 million young people in that age group worldwide.

The report noted that this increase reverses the improvement seen after the COVID-19 pandemic and reflects a deterioration in both the quantity and quality of jobs available to young people.

The ILO also pointed out that the share of young people not in employment, education, or training (NEET) rose slightly to 20 percent, representing more than 257 million individuals.

This trend is being compounded by changes in workplaces driven by artificial intelligence. The ILO estimated that 6.1 percent of jobs currently held by people aged 15 to 29 are in occupations most exposed to AI-related changes.

It added that if just 10 percent of those jobs were to disappear entirely, around 5.6 million young workers—mostly in high-income countries—could face unemployment, be forced to change career paths, or exit the labor force.

While the long-term impact of artificial intelligence remains uncertain, the report cautioned that the risks should not be underestimated.