The number of unemployed youth is expected to fall in 2022 worldwide, although it remains above its level before the coronavirus pandemic, with gaps still large between countries but also between men and women, the ILO said on Thursday.
Their number is expected to drop by 2 million compared to 2021, to reach 73 million this year, the International Labor Organization said in a report released on the occasion of International Youth Day. This figure is still 6 million higher than in 2019, before the pandemic.
“The recovery of youth employment is lagging behind that of adults” at the global level, says the ILO, which points out that already during the pandemic, young people aged 15-24 had experienced a much higher percentage of job loss than grown ups.
A still wide gap between women and men
Unsurprisingly, young women continue to fare worse than young men: in 2022, the ILO projects that 27.4% of them will be employed, compared to 40.3% of young men. This gender gap has shown little sign of narrowing over the past two decades and is largest in lower-middle-income countries.
The recovery of the youth labor market is also expected to differ between low- and middle-income countries, on the one hand, and high-income countries, on the other. Only high-income countries are expected to reach youth unemployment rates close to 2019 levels by the end of 2022, while other countries are expected to remain above pre-crisis levels.
The Arab States are the geographical area most affected
In Europe and Central Asia, the youth unemployment rate is expected to be 1.5 percentage points higher than the global average in 2022: 16.4% vs. 14.9%, respectively. According to the ILO, “substantial progress has been made in reducing youth unemployment, for both women and men, but the actual and potential impacts of the war in Ukraine are likely to affect outcomes.”
The Arab States have the highest and fastest growing youth unemployment rate, projected at 24.8%. In Africa, the youth unemployment rate of 12.7% masks, according to the ILO, the fact that many young people have chosen to withdraw from the labor market altogether.
Investments in favor of the environment, digital technology and health are levers
The ILO believes that 15-24 year olds are best placed to benefit from the expansion of more sustainable economies. Thus, 8.4 million additional jobs could be created for young people between now and 2030 thanks to the implementation of so-called “green” and “blue” policy measures, thanks in particular to investments in clean and renewable energies, sustainable agriculture, recycling and waste management. .
The report also highlights that the model suggests that achieving universal broadband internet coverage by 2030 could lead to a net increase of 24 million new jobs worldwide, including 6.4 million young people.
Finally, the ILO simulations suggest that investments in health services, long-term care and education, sectors that employ many young workers and especially young women, could allow the creation of 17.9 million additional jobs for young people. by 2030.
Source: BFM TV
