The number of young people without a job is very high in many countries. There are 73 million 15-24-year-olds around the world who want to work but cannot find a job. The International Labour Organization (ILO) said that although youth unemployment is coming down in rich countries, it is rising in Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Brazil. The rate in China increased from 9.3 per cent in 2010 to 10.6 per cent last year. It could be 11.1 per cent in 2016. In Brazil, the figure was 14 per cent at the beginning of this year, but is now almost 16 per cent.

The ILO said: "It's still not easy to be young and starting out in today's labour market." It is worst for young women. The highest rate of youth unemployment is for women in the Middle East and North Africa. This figure is around 45 per cent. There are many reasons for the high youth unemployment. One big factor is the global financial collapse of 2008. Many countries still have problems from that. The ILO says youth unemployment is not just important for economic reasons. It also affects health, peace and levels of people's happiness.