Invest In Youth Employment Or Lose A Generation

ILO News— The world risks losing a generation if it fails to urgently address the youth employment crisis, the ILO said in a Call for Action on the youth employment crisis adopted at its May 30-June 14 2012 International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva.

“Unless immediate and vigorous action is taken, the global community confronts the grim legacy of a lost generation,” delegates said in the report.

Youth employment: Many are neither working or studying.
Youth employment: Many are neither working or studying.

The document lists measures governments can take, with support from employers and workers, such as addressing skills mismatches, improving apprenticeship systems and promoting youth entrepreneurship.

Youth Employment Crisis

The delegates called on “governments, the multilateral system, the G20 and all relevant national, regional and international organizations” to tackle the issue, with the ILO taking a leadership role.

“A great deal has been learned about how to address barriers young people face to transition into the labor market, but in many countries ineffective macroeconomic and other policies have not delivered enough jobs in general and for the youth in particular.”

The document highlights the dire figures of the crisis: 75 million young people are jobless – four million more than in 2007.

Six million of them have completely given up looking for a job. Of those who are working, more than 200 million earn less than US $2 a day.

The ILO has an important role to play in the process.

“It must support action by governments, social partners and the multilateral system to address the youth employment crisis and promote decent work for youth, ” the report says, adding that “political commitment and innovative approaches are critical to improve the situation.”

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