A Generation Left Behind

A Generation Left Behind

Blog Article

Across continents and cultures, from bustling metropolises to rural towns, millions of young people face the growing reality of unemployment and underemployment, not due to a lack of ambition, talent, or willingness to work, but because of structural failures, economic volatility, education-to-labor market mismatches, and policies that consistently overlook or marginalize youth voices, and this crisis of global youth unemployment—affecting individuals between the ages of 15 and 24—is not merely an economic issue but a profound social, psychological, and political challenge that threatens to erode trust in institutions, widen inequality, and destabilize communities already vulnerable to unrest, and while technological advancement, globalization, and automation have transformed the nature of work, they have not guaranteed inclusive or sustainable employment opportunities, particularly for youth who often enter job markets already saturated, informal, or constrained by geographical, gender-based, or socio-political barriers, and in many countries, especially in the Global South, high youth population growth is not matched by adequate job creation, leading to a situation in which millions graduate each year with degrees or skills but face limited pathways to employment, or are forced into informal economies where work is precarious, unregulated, and poorly paid, with little or no social protection, and for those who find employment, many are trapped in low-skill or low-wage roles that fail to match their qualifications, aspirations, or potential, resulting in what is increasingly referred to as “skills underutilization” or “overeducation,” where the promise of education as a pathway to opportunity no longer holds true, and this disillusionment can lead to a sense of hopelessness, delayed life transitions such as marriage or home ownership, increased mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, and in some cases, susceptibility to radicalization, crime, or migration under risky and exploitative conditions, and the gendered dimensions of youth unemployment are also severe, as young women in many societies face additional barriers to entry including restrictive norms, domestic responsibilities, workplace harassment, and discriminatory hiring practices, often leading to higher rates of economic inactivity even among those who are willing and able to work, and the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated these trends, disrupting education systems, closing businesses, and displacing millions of young workers—many of whom were employed in vulnerable sectors such as retail, hospitality, tourism, and gig work—without sufficient safety nets or opportunities for re-entry, and as countries now attempt to recover and rebuild, the risk is that young people will again be sidelined in favor of “experienced” labor or sectors deemed politically or economically expedient, perpetuating a cycle of marginalization and exclusion that undermines long-term development, innovation, and resilience, and apprenticeship programs, internships, and vocational training—though often cited as solutions—are frequently unpaid, exploitative, or disconnected from actual labor market demand, reinforcing inequalities rather than bridging them, especially when access is determined by networks, geography, or economic privilege, and digital platforms and entrepreneurship have opened new avenues for some youth, particularly in the tech, creative, or gig economy sectors, but these opportunities are often over-romanticized and come with their own precarity, lack of regulation, algorithmic control, and unequal access to tools, financing, and markets, and government employment initiatives, while well-intentioned, are often underfunded, poorly implemented, or captured by bureaucracy, corruption, or short-term metrics that fail to address the root causes of unemployment or the systemic barriers facing disadvantaged youth populations, and what is needed instead is a comprehensive, rights-based approach to youth employment that views young people not as passive recipients of aid or future leaders in waiting, but as current stakeholders, innovators, and co-creators of economic systems who must be meaningfully engaged in the design, implementation, and evaluation of policies that affect their lives, and this includes targeted investments in green jobs, care work, community-based enterprises, and digital infrastructure that are inclusive, sustainable, and aligned with climate goals, gender equity, and local needs, and it requires transforming education systems to be more adaptable, experiential, and rooted in real-world problem solving, with a focus on critical thinking, collaboration, emotional intelligence, and the capacity to navigate uncertainty and lifelong learning, and public-private partnerships must be held accountable not only to shareholders but to the communities and young workers they impact, with transparency, ethical standards, and inclusive governance structures that ensure that employment creation does not come at the cost of exploitation or environmental harm, and social protection systems must evolve to include the realities of informal, freelance, and platform-based work, ensuring that all youth—regardless of their employment type—can access health insurance, unemployment benefits, and legal recourse, and young people must also be supported to organize, unionize, and advocate for their rights without fear of retaliation or criminalization, particularly in contexts where youth protest is met with repression rather than dialogue, and intergenerational solidarity is essential, as older generations in power must make room at the table, share resources, and acknowledge the debts owed to younger generations whose futures are shaped by decisions made today on climate, debt, taxation, technology, and trade, and the global community must treat youth employment not as a peripheral issue but as a central pillar of peace, prosperity, and justice, recognizing that the exclusion of a generation is not only a moral failure but a strategic error in a world that increasingly depends on the creativity, energy, and resilience of its youngest citizens to build solutions for the crises we collectively face, and until we create inclusive economies that truly value youth labor, ideas, and leadership, we will continue to lose not only economic potential but the trust, hope, and contribution of those upon whom the future depends.