The International Labour Organization reported Tuesday that global youth unemployment rose from 12.3% in 2024 to 12.4% last year, representing 67 million unemployed people aged 15 to 24.
The increase marks a stalling of the recovery that followed the Covid-19 pandemic, with some of the largest job losses hitting high-income countries as artificial intelligence begins reshaping labor markets.
What happened
The International Labour Organization reported that the global youth unemployment rate increased from 12.3% in 2024 to 12.4% last year, affecting 67 million unemployed people aged 15 to 24.
Why it matters
The recovery in youth labor markets that followed the Covid-19 pandemic has stalled. Some of the steepest increases are occurring in high-income countries, where artificial intelligence is beginning to change the jobs market.
What to watch
The U.N.'s labor agency has signaled that youth employment trends are reversing after a period of improvement, suggesting ongoing pressure on entry-level job availability globally.
The International Labour Organization announced Tuesday that global youth unemployment has risen, continuing a troubling reversal of post-pandemic progress. The global youth unemployment rate climbed from 12.3% in 2024 to 12.4% last year, representing 67 million unemployed people aged 15 to 24. The U.N. labour agency emphasized that the tentative, short-lived recovery in youth labor markets that followed the Covid-19 pandemic has now stalled. The increases are not uniform worldwide; some of the steepest rises are occurring in high-income countries, a pattern the agency linked to artificial intelligence beginning to reshape the jobs market. This reversal underscores mounting pressure on young workers globally, particularly in wealthier economies where AI adoption is advancing most rapidly.
The United Nations labour agency's report signals a reversal in youth employment fortunes after the pandemic-driven recovery of recent years. The rise from 12.3% to 12.4% may appear modest in percentage terms, but it represents a shift in trajectory at a critical moment: high-income countries are experiencing particularly acute increases, a pattern the body attributes to artificial intelligence's impact on the jobs market. The agency explicitly notes that the post-pandemic recovery has stalled, suggesting that gains made in 2023–2024 are not holding. This timing matters because entry-level roles are often the first to be affected by automation and AI-driven workplace changes, making the trend especially consequential for young workers seeking to establish careers.
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