Adolescence and youth are critical years for building skills, confidence and independence. Economic opportunities in young adulthood help youth support themselves and their families, reducing risks such as child labour, early marriage and exploitation while building resilience and inclusion.
Yet many young people in Asia and the Pacific struggle to find safe, meaningful work. Poverty, limited access to education and training, gender discrimination, disability, displacement and economic shocks make it harder to secure decent jobs or build livelihoods. In South Asia, nearly one in three young people are not in employment, education or training. In East Asia and the Pacific, 160 million young people are in the same situation, three quarters of whom are adolescent girls and young women.
Many young people in the region leave school without the practical experience, financial support or networks needed to find work or start a business. Too often, they enter low-paid, insecure or informal jobs, especially girls and women. Those affected by conflict, crises or climate disasters face even greater barriers.
Meanwhile, rapid changes in technology, climate and labour markets are reshaping the skills young people need to succeed. Although four in five young people across East Asia and the Pacific want to work in the green economy, only one in eight has a green skill.