Before anyone had a “career,” they usually had a job.
The kind with a lousy schedule, an unimpressive title, and responsibilities that didn’t require a framed diploma hanging on the wall. These jobs were almost never final destinations. They were starting points. You learned how to show up, deal with people, solve problems, make mistakes, and, eventually, become qualified for something better. Basically, you learned how to be a professional.
That arrangement has worked reasonably well for a long time.
Now imagine millions of young people arriving at the starting line only to discover someone has quietly moved it.
That’s increasingly the story behind a rise in global youth unemployment.
Help wanted-ish
After falling to a two-decade low in 2023, global youth unemployment rose to 12.4% in 2025, leaving 67 million people ages 15 to 24 unemployed. And that’s only part of the picture. More than 257 million young people were not in employment, education, or training. Youth unemployment increased in eight of 11 global subregions between 2023 and 2025.
There are plenty of reasons why.
Economic growth has slowed. At the same time, opportunities are declining in several occupations that have historically given young workers a foot in the door, including clerical, administrative, service, sales, manufacturing, and certain technical roles.
Artificial intelligence could further complicate things.
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), 6.1% of jobs held by people ages 15 to 29 are in occupations considered highly exposed to AI-related changes. That doesn’t mean AI is responsible for the recent increase in youth unemployment. The ILO says it’s still too early to make that connection.
“While the direct impact on jobs is still unclear, we must not be complacent and underestimate the risks,” said Sukti Dasgupta, director of the ILO’s Employment, Skills, and Sustainable Enterprises Department.
The experience problem
This puts employers in a somewhat awkward position. Most organizations want experienced employees. But somebody has to give those employees experience in the first place.
Entry-level jobs are where people learn how businesses actually operate. They learn how to manage competing priorities, work with different personalities, make judgment calls, and decipher what their boss really means when they say, “I have one small change.”
The World Economic Forum warns that employers adopting AI should rethink early-career pathways so automation doesn’t inadvertently eliminate opportunities to develop future talent. Apprenticeships, mentorship, structured training, and redesigned junior roles could become increasingly important as traditional entry-level work changes.
Why you should care: Youth unemployment might seem like something for economists and policymakers to worry about. Businesses have a stake in it, too.
The people struggling to land their first jobs today are the same people organizations will eventually need to fill experienced positions. If fewer young workers have opportunities to develop skills, build institutional knowledge, and learn from more experienced colleagues, the effects could show up years from now in hiring and succession planning.
None of this means organizations should keep unnecessary work around simply because “that’s how we did it.”
If AI can do the busywork, great. Just don’t accidentally automate the apprenticeship along with it. |
