ILO, expert raise red flag over growing youth employment crisis

2026-03-05 - 01:36

By Victor Ahiuma-Young The International Labour Organization, ILO, has raised serious concerns over what it describes as a deepening youth employment crisis, warning that millions of young people are grappling with unprecedented levels of stress and uncertainty linked to job insecurity and limited access to social protection. Speaking during a webinar organised by the ILO, renowned labour economist, David Blanchflower said young people are disproportionately entering the labour market through temporary, part-time, or self-employment roles that often lack adequate social security coverage. He stressed that expanding and strengthening social protection systems is critical to improving youth prospects. Blanchflower urged governments to step up support for enterprises willing to hire young workers on formal contracts. He recommended tax incentives and targeted subsidies to encourage companies to create stable, protected jobs for youth. In particular, he highlighted examples from countries that have adopted active labour market policies to promote employment among young women, including enhanced subsidies and priority support for female entrepreneurs. The economist also called for reforms to unemployment benefit systems to ensure that young people without long employment histories can access financial support. Such reforms, he said, should be paired with strong public employment services and active labour market programmes to help young jobseekers transition into meaningful work. Beyond job access, the webinar underscored the importance of workplace well-being. Many companies, participants noted, are introducing innovative human resource practices such as “recharge days,” flexible benefits, and intergenerational mentoring networks aimed at reducing workplace bias and supporting young employees. Empowering young people to understand their workplace rights and engage in social dialogue was also identified as a key strategy to strengthen youth agency and rebuild confidence in institutions. Similarly, Head of the Social Policy Unit in the ILO’s Universal Social Protection Department, Christina Behrendt, said empowering youth to shape their own pathways toward security and prosperity is central to the organisation’s 2026 priorities. She emphasised that restoring young people’s trust in public institutions will require not only promises of decent work and expanded social protection, but bold and tangible policy action. With youth anxieties mounting globally, ILO’s message was clear: without urgent and decisive reforms, a generation risks being left behind.