The theme of this year’s Youth Day is “From Clicks to Progress: Digital Pathways for Youth to Sustainable Development”. It was chosen to recognise the contribution of young people to the advancement of digital technologies, which has impacted all aspects of the economy and society. We are confident that Bangladesh will continue to unleash the potential of youth by harnessing the power of digital technologies for economic and social development. There is an urgent need for appropriate labour market policies and programmes. These, including a supportive environment for entrepreneurial activities, skills development and lifelong learning, a labour market governance framework and functioning institutions for harmonious industrial relations, are critical for the country to realise the potential and address the challenges of youth unemployment that the country faces despite its rapid economic progress.

Bangladesh is a nation defined by its youth. With about two million young people entering the labour market every year and more than a quarter of the population (25.81 percent) in the 15-29 age group, the country has enormous potential to reap the benefits of a demographic dividend. This potential fills us with hope and optimism for the future. In particular, the fact that 36.7 percent of the total working population falls in this age group underscores the country’s capacity for future growth.

While Bangladesh has achieved significant socioeconomic development over the past decade and a half, the growth in employment opportunities has not kept pace. The decline in employment growth in manufacturing has in turn slowed employment growth in the services sector. Moreover, a 5 percent decline in real wage growth, coupled with increasing informalization of the economy and employment, raises important questions about the equity and inclusiveness of the country’s economic progress.

According to the 2022 Labour Force Survey, youth unemployment in Bangladesh (15-29 years) is at 8 percent. Even more worrying is the fact that 92.7 percent of working youth and 98.5 percent of young women are engaged in informal employment, where they face significant decent work deficits, including low wages, poor working conditions and a lack of social protection and basic rights at work. Unfortunately, the highest unemployment rate is among those who have tertiary education, at 27.8 percent overall (32.6 percent women).

Equally worrying is the fact that 22 percent of young people (15-29) are neither in employment nor education (NEET). Women are disproportionately affected in this category, at 27.1 percent, compared to men at 16.2 percent. The deurbanization of women’s employment and the rise of informal and self-employed employment are other challenges facing the country. Despite economic growth, creating decent jobs for young people remains a significant challenge.

More than three million young people, many with few or no skills, work as migrant workers in East Asia and the Middle East. While the remittances they send home are an important source of GDP and foreign exchange earnings for Bangladesh, these workers often face high migration costs, low wages, lack of workplace protection, inadequate access to social services, and the looming threat of displacement from automation and technological disruption. These factors make an otherwise important employment opportunity for Bangladeshi youth a challenging and precarious path.

On this International Youth Day, we are pleased to announce the publication of the The ILO’s flagship report, Global Employment Trends for Youth 2024. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of global youth employment trends in recent years. It highlights the worrying number of 15-24 year-olds not in employment, education or training (NEETs) and finds that the employment recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic has not been universal. Young people in certain regions, particularly many young women, are not fully benefiting from the economic recovery.

The ILO hopes that the findings and recommendations of this report will help develop effective, evidence-based strategies that create better employment opportunities and ensure decent work for Bangladesh’s youth. The ILO stands ready to provide technical support to Bangladesh in implementing practical measures to achieve inclusive, full and productive employment.