UN World Youth Report on youth employment

In the aftermath of the economic crisis, the global youth unemployment rate saw its largest annual increase on record in 2009, resulting in around 75.8 million unemployed youth

For the first time, inputs gathered from young people around the world through an extensive online consultation form the core of the World Youth Report, entitled Youth Employment: Youth Perspectives on the Pursuit of Decent Work in Changing Times.

The report, published by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), also outlines the situation of young people in the labour market and youth employment trends.

Young people and representatives of youth-led organizations were invited to share through digital and social media platforms their views, experiences and recommendations on preparing for, entering, and remaining active in the workforce. A total of approximately 1,100 contributions (as well as photos and videos) were received from young people around the world during the four-week consultation period.

The report reveals that young people are worried about the quality and relevance of their education, as mentioned by Amadou, a 24-year-old man from Senegal: “Today it should be easier to find a job because our generation is the most educated but there is an inadequacy between the training offered and the needs of the labour market.” Other subjects of concern include job vulnerability, labour migration, delayed marriage, and the rural divide, as well as age, gender and racial discrimination.

Chapter I introduces the status of young people in the labour market and youth employment trends. It provides a snapshot of key youth employment-related demographics, highlighting the critical role of youth employment in social development. The chapter also considers positive and negative trends across countries in various stages of development to illustrate the state of youth employment world-wide.

Chapter II explores education, as the foundation for working life, with focus on views regarding educational quality and utility. Vocational education, life skills and entrepreneurship are highlighted. The chapter examines what some schools are doing, and what more can be done, to help young people transition to work. It considers ways for educational systems to be more responsive to the changing needs of economies and societies, and labour markets in particular. It also looks at ways in which young people may hold policymakers and decision-makers accountable for fulfilling the right to quality education.

Chapter III focuses on the transition of young people into work, particularly the search for a first job. It examines the availability among youth of information on labour markets and job seeking, and explores various mechanisms and tools to inform and advise young people, from networking to subsidized employment programmes. The chapter also looks into potential emerging areas of opportunity for young people.

Chapter IV explores the quality and conditions of jobs held by youth, and how young people’s working situation interacts with their family and home lives. It addresses high rates among youth of underemployment, participation in the informal economy, vulnerable employment, wages and working conditions. The chapter also examines how a lack of decent work opportunities can influence family life, social processes such as marriage and fertility, as well as health and well-being.

Young people themselves are crucial stakeholders in the pursuit of decent and productive work for all. They are rights-holders and active participants in society, in addition to representing the future global workforce; often times, they are also pioneers. Yet, too frequently, their voices go unheard and their positive and negative experiences and viewpoints unshared, particularly with decision-makers. The present report takes heed of calls by Member States, youth-led and youth-focused organizations, young people and others to bring young people’s voices into fora where youth issues are discussed and acted upon. Therefore, the World Youth Report 2011 is intended above all to explore youth employment issues mainly through the words of young people themselves around the world.

UN World Youth Report on youth employment

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