Lack of employment among young people becomes a global challenge

Young people find a changing market with the advancement of AI and new social configurations Joerg Carstensen/picture alliance The difficulty of inserting young people into the job market is no longer a localized problem and has started to mobilize different countries. Last year, persistent unemployment and a dearth of opportunities brought protesters to the streets in Kenya, Peru, Nepal, Indonesia and the Philippines. ?? Do you have any reporting suggestions? Send to g1 This year, concerns about the lack of work for this age group also fueled protests in South Africa and Morocco. In India, he helped give visibility to the Cockroach Janta Party, a movement that emerged as a satirical initiative on social media and quickly gained national prominence. Youth unemployment in China Youth unemployment measures the share of young people, typically between the ages of 15 and 24, who are actively looking for work but are unable to find a position. This rate tends to exceed that of general unemployment, due to less professional experience and the barriers faced by those starting their careers. Still, the difference between the two indicators has widened in an increasing number of countries. China has become one of the most visible examples of this phenomenon. The increase in enrollment in higher education and the increase in the number of graduates occurred at a faster pace than the creation of jobs, contributing to anxiety, the prolonged search for work and underemployment in a period of economic slowdown.

In May, the official unemployment rate among urban young people aged 16 to 24 in China was 15.6%, according to government data cited by Reuters. Although it is the lowest level in 11 months, the index remains well above the country's general unemployment rate, around 5%. Since 2023, Chinese statistics on youth unemployment no longer include the millions of university students, making comparisons with previous data difficult. In Brazil, the difficulty of entering the job market also disproportionately affects younger people. According to the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE), the unemployment rate among people aged 18 to 24 is 13.8%, more than double the national average of 5.8%. Among the population aged 14 to 24, almost 20% neither study nor work. In some countries, there is growth in youth employment in positions that require lower qualifications Stefan Sauer/dpa/picture alliance Is AI to blame? China is not the only country facing weak economic growth, lower social mobility and a growing perception of intergenerational inequality. In many economies, technological advancement, slowing hiring and increased competition have weakened the traditional relationship between a university degree and stable white-collar employment. In addition to the increase in the number of graduates, another factor fueling insecurity is the fear that artificial intelligence (AI) will eliminate entry-level jobs. Experts, however, have not yet reached a consensus on the effects of the technology. “In the UK, new vacancies for graduates have fallen faster than those for people without a university degree, and many of these roles have high exposure to AI,” says Golo Henseke, associate professor of applied economics at University College London. According to research he conducted, regions where companies adopted AI more quickly saw slower employment growth among people aged 15 to 24, while employment among prime-age workers remained stable. Still, Henseke assesses that, for now, the impact of AI is small when compared to the normal effects of the economic cycle. Sara Elder, a youth employment expert at the International Labor Organization (ILO), agrees. For her, AI can contribute to the stagnation of employment among young people, but it is not the main factor. "At the moment, the economies are not dynamic enough, and the creation of vacancies does not keep up with the number of young people entering the job market", he states. According to Elder, the problem is worsened by the tendency for employers to increase hiring requirements, making it difficult for candidates with little professional experience to enter. Without opportunities in entry-level roles, many young people may fail to gain the experience they need to advance their careers. The consequences include lower consumption, reduced property purchase rates, postponement of family formation and increased social frustration. Many say they are increasingly in debt. The most affected sectors The ILO identified an increase in youth unemployment rates in eight of the world's 11 regions between 2023 and 2025, including East Asia, North America and Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The reduction in opportunities was most pronounced in the manufacturing, construction and services sectors. On the other hand, according to Elder, highly qualified and knowledge-intensive technical jobs, such as those in the areas of science, engineering, health and information and communication technology, performed more favorably and continued to expand in most countries. Scenario requires new investments Slower economic growth, fierce competition among graduates and changes in hiring criteria have made it more difficult for many young people to get their first job. In Germany, a survey by consultancy EY showed that students are less optimistic about the possibility of finding suitable work after graduation than they were two years ago. Job security also overtook salary as the main criterion when choosing an employer. For Elder, this scenario highlights the need for public and private investments in the creation of quality jobs and in policies that facilitate the transition of young people from school to the job market. Henseke, in turn, shows caution in attributing the problem to the qualification of

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