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Global challenges - Global solutions podcast

Lost in COVID-19 limbo-land: Pandemic hits youth employment hard

14 July 2021

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The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the world’s young workers hard. While the pandemic has had an unprecedented impact across the global workforce, youth have suffered greater job losses than other age groups.

According to the latest ILO statistical update on the impact of COVID, which came out just before World Youth Skills Day on 15 July, employment of young people aged 15 to 24 fell sharply in 2020.

What’s more, the crisis and lockdown measures constrained young people from even looking for work, increasing the so-called NEETs—young people not in employment, education, and training—last year, leaving young people worse off for years to come.

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Speakers

  • Photo of Niall O’Higgins
    Niall O’Higgins
    Senior Economist, Employment Analysis Unit Employment, Labour Market and Youth Branch ILO Employment Policy Department
  • Photo of Sher Verick
    Sher Verick
    Head of the Employment Strategies Unit Employment, Labour Market and Youth Branch ILO Employment Policy Department

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