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Youth Unemployment and Labor Mobility

Key trends in Asia and the Pacific

Stefan Kuehn, kuehn@ilo.org

The AROSP 2024 Biennial Meeting

Advancing social justice, promoting decent work

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Date: 1 April 2024

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Outline

Youth employment rates, education, NEET

Youth labour market challenges

Youth migration

Improving systems of technical and vocational training

Advancing social justice, promoting decent work

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Date: Monday / 01 / October / 2019

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Employment, education and NEET

Steady decline in youth employment rate

Down from 56% in 1991 to 33% in 2023

Advancing social justice, promoting decent work

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Date: Monday / 01 / October / 2019

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Employment, education and NEET

Steady decline in youth employment rate

Rising share in education or training (while not in employment)

Up from 29% in 2005 to 45% in 2023

Enrollment in tertiary education up from 36 million in 2000 to 137 million in 2022 (UNICEF)

Advancing social justice, promoting decent work

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Date: Monday / 01 / October / 2019

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Employment, education and NEET

Steady decline in youth employment rate

Rising share in education or training (while not in employment)

Declining share not in employment, education or training (NEET)

Down from 26% NEET in 2005 to 22% in 2023

Advancing social justice, promoting decent work

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Date: Monday / 01 / October / 2019

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Youth labour market challenges in East-, South- and South-East Asia

Undereducation (simple average)

  • 43%

Advancing social justice, promoting decent work

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Date: Monday / 01 / October / 2019

Youth unemployment rate

  • 14.5%

Youth working poverty rate

  • 5.9%

NEET women

  • 32.3%

NEET men

  • 12.4%

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In search of better jobs - migration

Domestic rural-urban migration

1.4% of cohort aged 25-34 today migrated to urban area over past 10 years (when they were youth)

Youth in urban areas have lower employment rate – longer education

Migration and education effect stronger for men

International migration

Limited intra-region migration

Youth 15-24 are not overly represented among migrant workers

Migrant workers have higher employment rate

Migrant workers face worse working conditions

Advancing social justice, promoting decent work

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Date: Monday / 01 / October / 2019

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Improving technical and vocational education systems

Broken link between TVET and labour markets

Learners lack information and financial resources

Teachers lack pedagogical skills and industry knowledge

Providers are not accountable

Proposals for transformation

Teach relevant skills

Balance autonomy and accountability of providers

Improve information and act on evidence

Advancing social justice, promoting decent work

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Date: Monday / 01 / October / 2019