Youth employment: Why are anxieties among young people growing even as youth unemployment rates fall?

A new ILO report on global youth employment trends has found that the global youth unemployment rate has returned to pre-pandemic levels; the 2023 rate, of 13 per cent, represents a 15-year low, and it is expected to fall further.

This should be good news. However, at the same time, young people are expressing greater worry about issues like job insecurity and their capability to move out of their family homes. These concerns are supported by the persistence of high numbers of so-called NEETs – those not in employment, education or training – especially among young women. It’s also clear that regional inequalities are widening, just as demographic trends place the bulk of tomorrow’s workforce in developing countries that struggle to create decent jobs.  

In this complex environment, what are the prospects for young people?