World: Youth unemployment reaches a record high

The International Labour Organisation (I.L.O) has sounded the alarm – 75 million young people aged between 15 and 25 years of age are unemployed.

According to the ILO, 12.7% of young people will be unemployed in the world this year, four million more than before the crisis began in 2007. The unemployment rate is not expected to decrease until 2016.

If you  take into account those who have  abandoned  or postponed their job search, the rate reached 13.6% in 2011.

The most affected:   Developed countries.

According to Eurostat, youth unemployment reached 22.1%  in the 17 countries which make up the euro zone. For example, last March, the rate  exceeded 53% in Greece, 48% in Spain, 36% in Portugal and 35% in Italy.

As a result of the Arab spring, the rate of youth unemployment rate has increased to 27.9% in North Africa.

Temporary contracts

The  ILO also reported that the number of young workers on temporary contracts has almost  doubled since 2007, with more than one young person in  three saying that they cannot find a permanent job. Of particular concern are  those young people who are neither studying nor working since they risk being marginalized socially and excluded from the job market.

According to José Manual Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive Director of the Employment Sector at ILO,  governments should make job creation for young people a priority and accelerate investment in the private sector.

The ILO is  organizing a Youth Employment Forum in Geneva from 23-25 May  gathering a hundred young people involved in promoting decent work for youth..

Source: Tribune de Genève, 22.05.2012