The International Labour Organization (ILO) releases its Global Employment Trends for Youth 2026 report today (11 August), presenting the latest global and regional analysis of youth employment trends and prospects. The publication comes as youth unemployment stands at 12.4 per cent and 257 million young people are not in employment, education or training, according to the ILO’s Employment and Social Trends 2026 report. It also examines emerging risks, including disruption related to artificial intelligence.

ILO reports generative AI could affect nearly 80 million ASEAN workers, though widespread job losses remain unlikely as adoption stays limited and uneven across sectors.

Technical skills have the power to transform lives—but only when everyone has the chance to learn them. Breaking down barriers to vocational education means creating training environments where people of all genders can develop in-demand skills, pursue non-traditional careers, and access better job opportunities. From safer classrooms to stronger support systems and inclusive leadership, small changes can open doors to lasting economic empowerment. What does it take to make technical training truly accessible, equitable, and ready for the workforce of tomorrow?

With uneven growth and slowing productivity in many regions, can growth still be inclusive, sustainable and create decent jobs? In a new episode of ILO’s The Future of Work podcast looks at how responsible business practices shape firms, treatment of workers and the wider economy.
Podcast guests:
Mark Birrell, President, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI)
Abdul-Moomin Gbana, General Secretary, Ghana Mine Workers Union
Githa Roelans, Head of the Multinational Enterprises and Responsible Business Conduct Unit, ILO

Step inside Nigeria’s cocoa-growing communities through this immersive virtual reality film and hear directly from young women whose childhoods were shaped by hazardous child labour and tough daily realities.

In a world shaped by AI, the green transition, and demographic change, lifelong learning is key to supporting good jobs and more inclusive societies. But new International Labour Organization (ILO) research shows access to quality learning is still deeply unequal.

In this episode of ILO's The Future of Work podcast listen to a discussion with Pedro Moreno da Fonseca, Lifelong learning specialist at the ILO, Hannah Liepmann, Economist at the ILO, Chaudhry Saad Muhammad, General Secretary of the Pakistan United Workers Federation, and Josephine Andriamamonjiarison, Honorary President of the Employers’ Association of Madagascar and member of the ILO Governing Body.

The ILO’s SCORE Programme is helping textile manufacturers in Albania improve productivity, workplace standards and wages, supporting business growth while creating better-quality jobs for local workers.

In this episode of the ILO Future of Work podcast, Manal Azzi explains how psychosocial risks such as long working hours, job insecurity and workplace bullying affect workers’ health, and what can be done to create healthier working environments worldwide.

Generative artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming workplaces across the globe, enhancing productivity and reshaping tasks in many occupations. But its effects are not gender neutral. A new report by the International Labour Organization finds that women are more exposed than men to the risks linked to this technology.

In this episode of the ILO Future of Work podcast, Anam Butt, technical specialist on gender equality and
non-discrimination at the ILO and co-author of the report, explores why women are overrepresented in jobs where tasks can be automated, why they remain underrepresented in AI and STEM occupations, and how AI systems can reproduce existing biases and stereotypes.

She also discusses how policymakers can ensure that digital transformation advances, rather than undermines, gender equality at work.

Former child labourer Hafeeza Mai leads a trade union in Pakistan, empowering women in the cotton sector to claim their rights, demand equal pay and protect their children from child labour.

Sixteen-year-old Arleidis, a Wayúu girl from the Pushaina clan, walked hours to study software programming, determined to overcome barriers and inspire her family and community. She now uses digital tools to promote and sell their work, strengthening her community livelihood.

While significant gains have been recorded in poverty reduction, education, and social protection coverage, structural inequalities, labour market informality, gender disparities, and declining trust in institutions continue to impede inclusive and sustainable development. The 2026 World Day of Social Justice recognizes the progress achieved and acknowledges persistent and emerging challenges. It calls for strengthening policy coherence across economic, social, and environmental dimensions, reinforcing multilateral cooperation, and placing equity and solidarity at the center of global policymaking.

As a child helping his family make shoes, Jestoni Go Padua later became a school instructor, now empowering young people with skills for decent work and a better future.

SENATIC is a joint initiative of Colombia’s Ministry of ICT, SENA and the ILO that equips young people such as Rafael Meza, with digital and technical skills through secondary education combined with certified training from global tech companies.

Between 2024 and 2026, the programme will train more than 60,000 students across all 32 departments of Colombia, with nearly 20 percent of beneficiaries coming from indigenous communities.