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Moreover, the report finds that young men have benefited more from the labour market recovery than young women. The youth unemployment rates of young women and young men in 2023 were nearly equal (at 12.9 per cent for young women and 13 per cent for young men), unlike the pre-pandemic years when the rate for young men was higher. And the global youth NEET rate of young women doubled that of young men (at 28.1 per cent and 13.1 per cent, respectively) in 2023.

“The report reminds us that opportunities for young people are highly unequal; with many young women, young people with limited financial means or from any minority background still struggling. Without equal opportunities to education and decent jobs, millions of young people are missing out on their chances for a better future,” added Houngbo.

The ILO report calls for greater attention on strengthening the foundations of decent work as a pathway to countering young people’s anxieties about the world of work and reinforcing their hope for a brighter future.

In a message to young readers, the report’s authors ask them to add their voices to calls for change. “You have the possibility to influence policy and to advocate for decent work for all. Know your rights and continue investing in your skills,” the message says. “Be a part of the change that we all need to ensure a socially just and inclusive world.”

This 12th edition of the GET for Youth marks the report’s 20-year anniversary. It looks back at what has been achieved in this century to improve young people’s working prospects and considers the future for youth employment “in an era characterized by crises and uncertainties”. Looking at longer-term trends, the report concludes that:

Growth in “modern” services and in manufacturing jobs for youth has been limited, although modernization can be brought to traditional sectors through digitalization and AI.

There are not enough high-skill jobs for the supply of educated youth, especially in middle-income countries.

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Keeping skills development on pace with evolving demands for green and digital skills will be critical to reducing education mismatches. 

The growing number of conflicts threatens young people’s future livelihoods and can push them into migration or towards extremism.

Demographic trends, notably the African ‘youthquake’ means creating enough decent jobs, will be critical for social justice and the global economy.

The report calls for increased and more effective investment, including in boosting job creation with a specific target on jobs for young women, strengthening the institutions that support young people through their labour market transitions including young NEETs, integrating employment and social protection for youth, and tackling global inequalities through improved international cooperation, public-private partnerships and financing for development.
Reducing youth unemployment and inactivity – including addressing the so-called NEETs (young people not in employment, education or training) phenomenon – is an important objective for the European Union. The EU supports Member States in reaching this objective. The aim is to help young people live a meaningful life, as well as to develop their potential to shape the future of the EU and propel the digital and green transitions forward.

Key actions to support youth employment
The Youth Guarantee, created in 2013 and reinforced in 2020, is the EU’s reference policy framework to fight youth unemployment and inactivity.

This framework helps 15-29 year-olds to receive an offer of employment, education, apprenticeship or traineeship within four months. Since its creation in 2013, it has helped around 50 million young people.

In 2020, to mitigate the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic for young people, the Commission adopted the Youth Employment Support communication. The Youth Employment Support is a package  built around four strands that together provide a bridge to jobs for the next generation:

The reinforced Youth Guarantee 
The Council Recommendation on vocational education and training which aims to make systems more modern, attractive and fit for the digital and green economy. It helps vocational education and training providers to become centres of vocational excellence, while supporting diversity and inclusiveness.
Apprenticeships benefit both employers and young people, adding a skilled labour force to a wide range of sectors. The renewed European Alliance for Apprenticeships  promotes national coalitions, supports SMEs and reinforces the involvement of social partners in apprenticeship provision.
Additional elements supporting youth employment, such as improving  the mutual learning capacity of the European Network of Public Employment Services, the Action Plan for the Social Economy and a stronger evidence base on access to social protection for young people.
The Commission has also launched ALMA, an active inclusion initiative for the most disadvantaged young people, which includes the opportunity to gain work experience in another EU Member State.

It supports young NEETs, and aims to integrate them into society through access to work or training.

Since 2014, the Council Recommendation on a Quality Framework for Traineeships has been the reference framework to promote quality traineeships in the EU.

Following an in-depth evaluation of this Framework, on 20 March 2024, the Commission proposed an initiative to improve working conditions of trainees and ensure that regular employment cannot be disguised as traineeships.

In addition, the new Traineeships initiative addresses issues of quality, including fair pay and access to adequate social protection, and aims at improving traineeships’ inclusiveness in the EU Member States.

EU financial support
The European Commission urges Member States to step up investment in youth employment. Significant funding is available under the long-term EU budget and NextGenerationEU. The aim is to support youth employment with at least €22 billion in the period 2021-2027.

The European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), with a total budget of €142 billion for the period 2021-2027, is a key EU financial resource to support the implementation of the Youth Guarantee and fund projects and reforms supporting the integration of young people into the labour market.

All Member States had to invest an appropriate amount of their ESF+ resources in targeted actions and structural reforms supporting young people’s entry into the labour market. Member States with a NEET rate (young people aged 15-29) above the EU average had to dedicate at least 12.5% of their ESF+ allocations to youth employment, education and training measures.  
It is estimated that further EUR 6.1 billion will be invested in youth employment across nine Member States under the Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe (REACT-EU).

Furthermore, it is estimated that the Just Transition Fund will support youth employment in the EU with a further EUR 150 million in 2021-2027.

Policy guidance, The EU provides policy support and mutual learning activities to help Member States put in place the right infrastructure and measures for the reinforced Youth Guarantee.

The network of national Youth Guarantee Coordinators ensures there is a direct link between the Commission and authorities managing the Youth Guarantee in each Member State. The Youth Guarantee Coordinators meet regularly to discuss policy developments.

Mutual learning activities enable Member States to exchange knowledge and learn from each other. The Commission has developed a Youth Guarantee knowledge centre to encourage the sharing of knowledge and experience.

Public Employment Services (PES) play a key role in the implementation of the reinforced Youth Guarantee. The European Network of Public Employment Services contributes to building PES capacities to provide tailored services to young people.

Monitoring progress across Member States
The Commission follows the development and policy initiatives in Member States via: the European Semester.

multilateral surveillance by the Employment Committee (EMCO). The latest review of the implementation of the Youth Guarantee took place in November 2023 and led to key messages endorsed by the EPSCO Council.
indicators developed by the EMCO Indicators Group and the Commission for monitoring at EU level the implementation and results of the Youth Guarantee.
yearly data collection exercises that help monitor the implementation of the Youth Guarantee in individual Member States.