ILO report: Global youth unemployment rises to 12.4% in 2025, with 6.1% of jobs held by 15-29 year-olds most exposed to AI

An International Labour Organization report says global youth unemployment among 15-to-24-year-olds rose to 12.4% in 2025 from 12.3% in 2023, equivalent to about 67 million people. The share of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) edged up to 20%, more than 257 million people. The ILO estimates 6.1% of jobs held by people aged 15 to 29 are in occupations most exposed to AI-related changes; if 10% of those jobs disappeared, about 5.6 million young workers could face unemployment, career changes or exit the labour force.

The report links AI's impact on job structures directly to young people's transition from school to work: fewer middle-skilled entry-level jobs changes the path for secondary and university graduates and affects vocational education, skills training and AI talent development. For education products and schools, this means skills training tied to employment needs to track changes in AI-exposed occupations. The 6.1% figure and the 5.6 million estimate are ILO estimates and scenario assumptions, not observed unemployment outcomes, and AI's long-term impact remains uncertain. Shrinking middle-skilled entry-level jobs narrow the path from school to work for secondary and university graduates, requiring adjustments in vocational education and skills training curricula. AI-exposed jobs are concentrated among 15-to-29-year-olds, and the scenario of about 5.6 million affected young workers offers a quantitative reference for school career guidance and AI talent development.