Global youth unemployment rose to 12.4 per cent in 2025, with 67 million young people aged 15 to 24 unemployed, as sluggish economic growth and weak job creation made it harder for young people to enter the labour market, according to a new International Labour Organisation (ILO) report.

The ILO’s ‘Global Employment Trends for Youth 2026: Back to the Future’ report also found that the share of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) increased slightly to 20 per cent, affecting more than 257 million people.

Between 2023 and 2025, youth unemployment increased in eight of the world’s 11 subregions, driven by slowing economic growth, weak job creation, geopolitical tensions and rapid technological change, the report said.