Over 67 million young people unemployed in 2025, ILO warns AI could erase millions more

Global youth unemployment rose again in 2025, the International Labour Organization warns, with the jobless rate for 15-to-24-year-olds reaching 12.4 percent — the equivalent of roughly 67 million young people without work.

The ILO’s report, "Global Employment Trends for Youth 2026", says the recent deterioration follows a period of post‑pandemic recovery and is driven by slower economic growth, geopolitical tensions and weak job creation that together make it harder for young people to enter the labour market.

Beyond unemployment, the report highlights a broader problem: about 257 million young people — roughly one fifth of the global youth population — are neither in employment nor in education or training, commonly classified as NEETs.

Artificial intelligence adds a new risk

The analysis also flags potential additional pressure from artificial intelligence. Jobs with medium skill levels — which often serve as key entry points for young workers — are especially vulnerable. The report estimates that around 6.1 percent of jobs held by young people are highly exposed to AI.

According to the ILO’s scenario, if automation were to eliminate just 10 percent of those highly exposed positions, as many as 5.6 million jobs could disappear, with the impact concentrated in wealthier economies.

Regionally, the highest youth unemployment rates are recorded in the Arab States and North Africa, while parts of Europe and North America have also seen worsening conditions. In lower‑income countries many young people end up in informal and precarious work because formal opportunities are lacking.

The report concludes that the global labour market is changing rapidly and that creating quality jobs for young people will remain a central economic challenge in the period ahead.

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