[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Young people worldwide are struggling with employment difficulties caused by the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). One in six is facing a situation without a job.
On the 27th (local time), the International Labour Organization (ILO) surveyed 11,000 people aged 18 to 29 and found that 17.1% were unemployed. This is a significant increase from last year's unemployment rate of 13.6%. Approximately 200 million young people have joined the ranks of the unemployed.
The ILO pointed out that even before COVID-19, the youth employment situation was not good, but the situation has become more severe after the pandemic.
Even those maintaining employment have experienced worsening conditions. According to the ILO, working hours decreased by 23% compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ILO sees that the youth are facing a triple burden due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only have jobs disappeared, but opportunities for education or training have become difficult to obtain, and paths to enter the labor market, such as changing jobs, have been blocked.
For these reasons, the ILO refers to the current youth generation as the lockdown generation, warning that they may be forced to struggle to catch up in the labor market for at least the next 10 years.
Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General, said, "If immediate measures to improve the situation of young people are not taken, the impact of COVID-19 could continue for decades," adding, "If young people's talents and energy are neglected due to lack of opportunities and skills, it will harm our future and make it difficult to build a better economy after COVID-19."
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