Geneva, August 12 — Global youth unemployment has reached its lowest level in 15 years, a trend expected to continue through 2025, according to a report released by the International Labour Organization (ILO) on Monday. However, the Asian continent remains an exception, struggling with higher unemployment rates due to weak economic growth.

The ILO report highlights that in 2023, approximately 64.9 million young people aged 15 to 24 were unemployed worldwide, resulting in a global youth unemployment rate of 13%. This rate is projected to decline further, reaching 12.8% in 2024 and 2025.

The report attributes the overall reduction in youth unemployment to the significant global economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. This recovery has spurred demand for young workers in the labor market, playing a crucial role in bringing youth unemployment back to pre-pandemic levels—or even lower in some regions.

However, the ILO cautions that this positive trend is not uniform across all regions. In 2023, youth unemployment in Arab countries, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific remained higher than in 2019. These sub-regions, particularly in Asia, are grappling with economic challenges that continue to hamper job creation for the younger population.

The ILO's findings underscore the need for targeted efforts to address the disparities in youth employment, particularly in regions where economic growth has not kept pace with global trends. The report calls for sustained investments in education, skills development, and job creation initiatives to ensure that young people, especially in economically lagging regions, have access to meaningful employment opportunities.

As the world continues to recover from the economic disruptions of the pandemic, the ILO's report serves as a reminder that while progress has been made, more work is needed to ensure that young people everywhere can benefit from the improving global labor market conditions.