Youth Employment

 
The ILO is dedicated to helping Member States increase youth employment. Today youth (ages 15-24) make up 18 percent (1.1 billion) of the total global population yet they are disproportionately affected by unemployment. Globally there are 202 million people who are unemployed, and 40 percent of them are youth. Whether youth are enrolled in school, work, are receiving training, or underemployed or unemployed has important implications for future economic growth and development and stability. When young people are not engaged in the education system or the labor market, they become disconnected from society and do not develop key skills for meaningful employment. Further, historically high numbers of unoccupied youth can cause social unrest.

The ILO’s Youth Employment Program helps countries develop interventions on youth employment. The ILO is also sponsoring an Academy on Youth Development in Turin, Italy, that will support the development and implementation of policies and programs that effectively respond to youth needs.

ILO-Washington engages with relevant stakeholders to promote youth employment within the United States where the population between the ages of 16 and 24 is twice the size of adults who are out of work or underemployed (U.S. Labor Market Spotlight). Lawmakers are beginning to acknowledge the crisis that American youth are facing. This is reflected in efforts such as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and, more recently, the Youth Jobs Act, which has been introduced in Congress and addresses the crisis of youth unemployment by providing funding to employ economically disadvantaged young adults in summer and year round jobs. ILO-Washington encourages initiatives that provide young Americans with the training and skills they need for the jobs of the future.