Youth employment

The world is facing a worsening youth employment crisis: young people are three times more likely to be unemployed than adults and over 75 million youth worldwide are looking for work. The ILO has warned of a “scarred” generation of young workers facing a dangerous mix of high unemployment, increased inactivity and precarious work in developed countries, as well as persistently high working poverty in the developing world.

The ILO's programme on youth employment operates through a global network of technical teams at its headquarters in Geneva and in more than 60 offices around the world. It provides assistance to countries in developing coherent and coordinated interventions on youth employment. This integrated approach combines macro-economic policies and targeted measures which address labour demand and supply, as well as the quantity and quality of employment.

Key resources

Youth employment crisis: ILO call for action

In June 2012, the ILO adopted a Resolution calling for immediate, targeted and renewed action to tackle the youth employment crisis. The resolution provides a portfolio of tested measures in five areas: macro-economic policies, employability, labour market policies, youth entrepreneurship and rights.

Resource guide on Youth employment

Global Employment Trends for Youth - 2013

Report

A generation at risk

The ILO study on the continuing job crisis affecting young people in many parts of the world. It provides updated statistics on global and regional youth unemployment rates and presents ILO policy recommendations to curb the current trends.

Latest

Decent Work for Youth Platform

24 May 2013

Participate in online debates moderated by young people working on youth employment, share experiences and ideas of good employment practice,learn more about Decent Work by asking questions directly to ILO experts.
© Leon Neal / AFP 2013

Youth employment

A forum for the voice of youth

24 May 2013

A new interactive on-line platform aims to engage young people and find solutions to the youth employment crisis.
Publication

South Africa SME Observatory: The state of youth entrepreneurship in the Free State

21 May 2013

A baseline study of entrepreneurial intentions and activity amongst young men and women
ILO Blog

The journey of a young entrepreneur in Zambia

20 May 2013

After receiving entrepreneurship training as part of ILO’s Youth Employment Project in Zambia, Mutoba Ngoma went from being unemployed to starting his own successful bio-fuel company.
Asia-Pacific YouthNet Talk show

The new youth opportunities in Myanmar

15 May 2013

Listen to Steve Marshal, the ILO liaison officer in Yangon, and Sandar Soe, from the FTUB trade union federation, talk about the challenges and opportunities young workers are facing as the country undergoes a period of gradual reforms.