📊 In its latest report, Employment and Social Trends 2026, the International Labor Organization (ILO) highlights the paradoxical dynamics of the global labor market: relatively stable unemployment figures mask deep-seated challenges related to the quality of employment, the informal sector, and the rapid impact of generative AI.
📈 Key figures and facts from the ILO study:
- The hidden problem of employment. The official global unemployment rate in 2026 is projected to be 4.9% (about 186 million people). However, another 408 million people worldwide lack adequate access to paid work, highlighting the limitations of focusing solely on the basic unemployment rate.
- Demographic and regional disparities. Overall employment growth in 2026 will be approximately 1%. High-income countries are expected to see a slight decline in employment (-0.1%) due to an aging population, while employment in developing countries will grow by 3.1%.
- Quality of work and poverty. About 2.1 billion people (57.7% of global employment) work in the informal sector, and 284 million workers continue to live below the extreme poverty line (less than $3 per day).
- Gender imbalance. Women’s labor force participation rate remains 24.2 percentage points lower than that of men.
🤖 The report specifically highlights the risks of automation for young people with higher education. Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the requirements for professional competencies.
The highest risk of automation and job displacement is observed precisely among young professionals with higher education in high-income economies. At the same time, AI offers significant potential to complement human labor in high-value-added sectors.
Higher education is no longer merely a “ticket” to employment—specialized digital skills, data literacy, and adaptability are beginning to play a key role.
👉 Information based on the report Employment and Social Trends 2026: https://researchrepository.ilo.org/view/delivery/41ILO_INST/13147301370002676