Global youth unemployment increased in 2025, new data showed, as weaker economic growth and geopolitical tensions slowed hiring, with experts fearing AI could make it even harder for young people to find work.
The UN’s International Labour Organization warned of a widespread decline in entry-level jobs feeding Gen Z’s generalized apprehension about the impact of the technology.
According to a recent Quinnipiac poll, those born between 1997 and 2008 are the most pessimistic about the impact of AI on their lives, with 78% saying they are at least somewhat concerned. “Younger generations now want to reclaim agency over their futures, rather than just blindly embrace AI,” an expert wrote in The Conversation.
