Global youth unemployment rises to 67 million as AI and weak job creation add pressure

Global youth unemployment rose to 12.4% in 2025, leaving 67 million young people aged 15 to 24 jobless and reversing post-pandemic recovery trends. According to the International Labour Organization, the share of youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET) reached 20%, affecting 257 million people. This deterioration is driven by sluggish economic growth, shrinking middle-skilled entry-level roles, and emerging risks from artificial intelligence, which highly exposes 6.1% of youth jobs.

Global youth unemployment rise

• ▪The International Labour Organization projected that the global youth unemployment rate will flatline at 12.3% in both 2026 and 2027.
• ▪The global youth unemployment rate among 15-to-24-year-olds rose to 12.4% in 2025 from 12.3% in 2023, representing approximately 67 million unemployed young people.

NEET population growth

• ▪In central and western Asia, as well as in eastern Europe, a declining youth unemployment rate was offset by an increase in the NEET population.
• ▪The global share of young people not in employment, education, or training (NEET) rose slightly to 20% in 2025, affecting more than 257 million people.

Middle-skilled job decline

• ▪High-skilled sectors such as science, engineering, healthcare, and information technology continue to expand, with low- and lower-middle-income countries seeing an 11.7% employment increase in these fields between 2023 and 2025.
• ▪Traditional entry-level roles for young people, including clerical, administrative, sales, and manufacturing jobs, are declining globally, leading to longer job queues.

AI employment risks

• ▪If 10% of AI-exposed youth jobs are eliminated, approximately 5.6 million young workers, primarily in high-income countries, could face unemployment, career changes, or labor force exit.
• ▪The International Labour Organization estimated that 6.1% of jobs held by people aged 15 to 29 are in occupations highly exposed to artificial intelligence.

Regional unemployment disparities

• ▪The Arab States recorded the highest youth unemployment rate in 2025 at 26.2%, followed closely by Northern Africa at 22.6%.
• ▪Nearly nine in 10 young workers aged 15 to 29 in low- and lower-middle-income countries remain in informal employment, lacking adequate social and labor protections.
• ▪Youth unemployment in North America climbed to 9.8% in 2025 from 8.3% in 2023, while the rate in Northern, Southern, and Western Europe stood at 15%.

Economic growth slowdown

• ▪The rise in youth unemployment and NEET rates between 2023 and 2025 occurred across high-income, lower-middle-income, and low-income countries, affecting eight of the world's 11 subregions.
• ▪The International Labour Organization attributed the rise in youth unemployment to a combination of weaker global economic growth, sluggish job creation, and geopolitical tensions.