ILO projects another rise in world jobless in 2013

Five years after the onset of the financial crisis, global unemployment is on the rise again. Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The Global Employment Trends 2013, a report by the International Labor Organization (ILO) has revealed that a total of 197 million people were without jobs in 2012, with youth being particularly hardest hit.
 

The report, released Jan. 21 projected the current unemployment figures will rise again this year.

The ILO, a United Nations labour agency, also said majority of the 4 million newly unemployed in 2012 came from developing economies in East and South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. 

It means that 6 percent (%) of the world's workforce were without a job in 2012.

73.8 million young people were unemployed globally in 2012, and the ILO which is responsible for overseeing international labor standards, made bleak projections of another increase in unemployment worldwide by 5.1 million in 2013.

This will push the total of jobless worldwide to 202 million. 

The ILO’s “Global Employment Trends 2013” report warns the high level of youth unemployment is of particular concern.

ILO Director-General Guy Ryder says future prospects are not good, as the forecast global economic recovery is not expected to be strong enough to bring down unemployment quickly.  

“We see that unemployment is set to rise again.  Our projection would be for 5.1 million more in 2013 and still a further 3 million in 2014.  So the trends are very much in the wrong direction,” Ryder said.  

Social instability

The labour agency also forecast the number of job seekers will rise to more than 210 million from now till 2018.

It says the labor market is particularly bleak for young people. Almost 74 million people aged between 15 and 24 are unemployed around the world - an unemployment rate of 12.6%.

In Dec. 2010, Tunisian Mohamed Bouazizi, 26, set himself on fire and died after police confiscated his fruit-stand. 

His action is generally credited with having started the Arab Spring - riots across the Middle East and North Africa.

ILO Chief Ryder warns “continued youth unemployment around the world could lead to further social instability.” 

“Promoting jobs for young people must be a priority,” he says.

Dangerous mix

The employment situation for young people is expected to improve slightly in developed economies over the next five years, the report says.

On the contrary, it says youth unemployment is expected to rise in emerging economies in Eastern Europe, in East and Southeast Asia and in the Middle East.

The ILO urges governments around the world to offer more skills trainings to ward off the rising unemployment.   

It cited some European countries that have adopted schemes that guarantee employment or training for groups of young people. 

These have proven to be successful and affordable, it says.

The world is facing a worsening youth employment crisis: young people are three times more likely to be unemployed than adults and over 75 million youth worldwide are looking for work.

The ILO has also warned of a “scarred” generation of young workers facing a dangerous mix of high unemployment, increased inactivity and precarious work in developed countries, as well as persistently high working poverty in the developing world. 

Written by Modou S. Joof

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