Young people are finding it harder to secure stable employment as the global jobs outlook worsens — and AI-driven change has been cited as one reason.
The strain is rising just as artificial intelligence transforms many of the roles workers have traditionally counted on to enter the labor market.
For countries with large youth populations, like Nigeria, the trend could deepen economic strain, increase migration pressures, and make the transition from school to work even more uncertain.
Here's what to know
The Global Employment Trends for Youth 2026: Back to the Future report from the International Labour Organization said the global unemployment rate for people ages 15 to 24 reached 12.4% in 2025, leaving roughly 67 million young people without work, The Guardian Nigeria observed.
The report said youth unemployment climbed between 2023 and 2025 in eight of the world's 11 sub-regions, reversing some of the recovery that followed the pandemic. It also found that more than 257 million young people worldwide — or 20% of the total — were outside work, school, or training.
In developing economies such as Nigeria, the issue is not just whether jobs exist, but whether those jobs are productive, decent, and protected. Young workers are often the first to feel the effects of slow growth, weak hiring, and shifts in employer demand.
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The report also identified rapid technological change as part of the problem. AI is increasingly being used as a cheap way for companies to avoid hiring new staff to complete a number of necessary tasks.
More background
When large numbers of young people cannot find decent work, economies lose productivity, families face added financial stress, and social mobility becomes harder to achieve.
In Nigeria, concerns about opportunity are also tied to migration. Bengt van Loosdrecht, ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Nigeria, said a Youth Pulse Survey involving more than 100 young Nigerians found that lack of jobs drove migration more than insecurity did, per The Guardian Nigeria. The survey found that many young people were seeking skills, decent jobs, better incomes, and access to capital to start businesses.
What's being done?
Public discussion around youth employment is increasingly focused on preparation, not just job counts.
Recent survey results in Nigeria pointed to practical priorities: relevant skills, decent employment, better earnings, and access to startup capital. Those needs suggest workforce development has to go beyond general education and include training that matches actual employer demand.
Governments, schools, and businesses can also reduce harm by investing in apprenticeships, digital skills programs, entrepreneurship support, and labor protections for younger workers entering fast-changing industries. Policies that encourage job creation in sectors with growing demand can help cushion the impact of automation.
Unless stronger support systems are put in place, the effects could influence household finances and migration patterns for years to come.
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