Global Youth Unemployment Hits 12.4% — AI Shrinks Entry-Level Jobs and Raises Migration Pressure

Young people worldwide are finding it increasingly difficult to secure stable work as the global jobs outlook weakens and rapid technological change reshapes entry-level roles.

The International Labour Organization's Global Employment Trends for Youth 2026: Back to the Future report found that the global unemployment rate for 15–24 year olds reached 12.4% in 2025, leaving roughly 67 million young people without work. The report also estimates that more than 257 million young people — about 20% of the global youth population — are not in employment, education, or training.

Regional Reversals and the Role of Technology

Youth unemployment increased between 2023 and 2025 in eight of the world's 11 sub-regions, reversing some of the post-pandemic recovery. The ILO highlights rapid technological change — including the growing use of artificial intelligence — as a significant factor. Employers are deploying AI and automation as cost-saving alternatives to hiring, particularly for roles traditionally filled by entry-level workers.

Implications for Developing Economies

In developing economies such as Nigeria, the challenge is not only creating jobs but ensuring those jobs are productive, decent, and protected. Young workers are often the first to be affected by slow growth, weak hiring, and shifting employer demand. When large cohorts of young people cannot access decent work, national productivity suffers, household finances become strained, and pathways to social mobility narrow.

Concerns about opportunity in Nigeria are also closely linked to migration. A Youth Pulse Survey involving more than 100 young Nigerians found that lack of jobs was a stronger driver of migration than insecurity, with many respondents seeking skills, decent work, higher incomes, and access to capital to start businesses (reported by The Guardian Nigeria).

Policy Responses and Practical Steps

Public discussion is shifting from simply counting jobs to preparing young people for the labour market. The report and local surveys point to practical priorities: relevant skills training, decent and better-paid employment, and improved access to start-up capital. Governments, schools, and employers can reduce harm by investing in:

• Apprenticeships and work-based learning to bridge the school-to-work transition;
• Digital and technical skills programs aligned with employer demand;
• Entrepreneurship support and easier access to early-stage finance for young founders;
• Labour protections to safeguard younger and informal workers in rapidly evolving sectors;
• Industrial and sectoral policies that stimulate job creation in areas with growing demand.

Absent stronger support systems and targeted policy action, the economic and social effects of rising youth unemployment and automation could influence household wellbeing and migration flows for years to come.

Source: ILO, Global Employment Trends for Youth 2026. Reporting and local survey details per The Guardian Nigeria.