Exclusion Of Youth From Labour Markets Hits New Heights, ILO Warns

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

January 17, 2025

The participation of young people in the global labour market is on a sharp decline, particularly in low-income countries, according to the latest report from the International Labour Organization (ILO). This worrying trend highlights a growing challenge: a generation increasingly disconnected from education, employment, and training.

Key Insights

Rising NEET Generation: The number of young men classified as part of the NEET generation—neither in education, employment, nor training—has surged, particularly in low-income nations. The ILO reports a 4 percentage point increase in NEET rates among young men in these countries compared to pre-pandemic levels, leaving many vulnerable to economic instability.
Gender Disparities Persist: Despite the challenges young men face, their labour market participation still outpaces that of young women. In low-income countries, over 20% of young men are not working or studying, but this figure climbs to a staggering 37% for young women.
Global Employment Trends: On a broader scale, the global unemployment rate remains steady at 5%, similar to 2023 levels. However, youth unemployment far exceeds this, sitting at 12.6%—underscoring the disproportionate burden on younger generations.

Structural Challenges

The ILO report also emphasises a troubling return to pre-pandemic levels of informal employment and “in-work poverty.” These issues, combined with wage growth that has yet to fully offset the erosion of incomes due to inflation, signal persistent vulnerabilities for workers worldwide.

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Economic And Social Risks

The ILO warns that while central banks have managed to reduce inflation without triggering severe contractions in labour markets, further fiscal tightening could lead to significant social unrest. Declining wages and stalled progress on worker protections only exacerbate these risks.

ILO Recommendations

To combat the exclusion of young people from the labour market and address broader workforce challenges, the ILO suggests:

Investing in Education and Training: Expanding access to vocational education and upskilling opportunities to bridge the gap between education and employment.
Boosting Social Protections: Enhancing safety nets in low-income countries to provide a buffer against economic shocks.
Leveraging Diaspora Resources: Mobilising remittances and diaspora funding to spur local development.
Developing Infrastructure: Creating job opportunities by investing in infrastructure projects, particularly in underdeveloped regions.

Looking Ahead

As youth unemployment and labour market exclusion continue to rise, the stakes are high for governments, organisations, and international institutions. The ILO’s call to action underscores the urgency of addressing these issues to secure a more inclusive and sustainable economic future.

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Europe’s Deadly Summer Heat Exposed The Cost Of A Warming Continent

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

October 23, 2026

Europe experienced its deadliest summer for heat-related deaths on record in 2026, with an estimated 24,400 excess deaths linked to extreme temperatures across 30 countries. Researchers estimate that human-induced climate change was responsible for around 32,000 of the deaths attributed to heat in the study’s broader analysis, accounting for 65% of the total.

The findings highlight the growing public-health consequences of global warming, largely driven by fossil fuel use, as extreme heat becomes more frequent and severe.

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A Summer Of Dangerous Heat

Between June and August, heatwaves pushed temperatures in Western Europe to an average of 2.9°C above the 1991–2020 norm, with some days reaching 12°C above average. Nearly a third of estimated heat-related deaths occurred during a particularly intense heatwave between 17 June and 1 July.

“These numbers are a stark reminder that our hotter, more extreme summers are having an increasingly severe impact on public health,” said Dr Clair Barnes, a researcher at Imperial College London and co-author of the study.

The estimated toll exceeded previous peaks of around 29,000 deaths in summer 2022 and 28,000 in 2003 across the region studied.

How Researchers Estimated The Toll

Researchers modelled the relationship between temperature and mortality across 854 urban areas in the EU, UK, Norway and Switzerland, covering around 40% of the population in the 30 countries studied.

The analysis incorporated temperature records, age, socioeconomic conditions, environmental factors and access to healthcare. By comparing actual temperatures with those expected without human-induced warming, the team estimated the additional deaths attributable to climate change.

Final official mortality figures for summer 2026 are not yet available in many countries, and heat-related deaths are often underreported because their effects can be difficult to identify directly.

Older People Face The Greatest Risk

People aged 85 and over accounted for roughly half of the estimated deaths. However, the impact extended across age groups, with around 800 excess deaths among adults aged 20–44 and approximately 6,000 among people under 65.

Southern Europe experienced the highest mortality burden, reflecting hotter temperatures and other vulnerabilities, including air pollution, limited green space and unequal access to healthcare and heat-alert systems.

Italy, France And Spain Record Highest Toll

Italy recorded an estimated 13,303 heat-related excess deaths, followed by France with 7,268 and Spain with 6,824. Germany recorded around 6,340, while the UK saw an estimated 4,354 deaths.

In the UK, the heat also placed significant pressure on healthcare services. Andrew Hartle, Professor of Practice of Anaesthesia at Imperial College Healthcare, said demand during the summer resembled that of a severe winter virus season.

Cities Urged To Strengthen Heat Protection

Researchers say cities can reduce the risks through climate shelters, external shading and building retrofits, alongside measures to help residents avoid exposure during the hottest hours. Checking on vulnerable people, staying hydrated and following heat alerts are also important.

The researchers stress that adaptation must go hand in hand with reducing fossil fuel use to limit further warming. The findings underline that extreme heat is already a major public-health threat across Europe, with thousands of lives at risk each summer.

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