Reading Time: 4 minutesThe COVID-19 pandemic has upended the lives of young people everywhere. Many of the worst consequences of the pandemic – school closures, fewer employment opportunities, low wages – have forced our youth to alter their personal, professional, and educational plans. If left unaddressed, these sacrifices will reverberate for years to come and leave an entire generation – especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds – with bleak futures.

Reading Time: 3 minutesIntegrating young people into the labour market is critical for the dynamism of our economies as well as the health of our businesses and society at large. Unfortunately, the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic have been devastating for the young generation, disrupting their education, limiting their employment opportunities and creating mental health issues.

Reading Time: 3 minutesWhile the pandemic’s health impacts have fallen mainly on older generations, in many countries it is the young who have proved most vulnerable to its economic impacts. For the young, this has become a crisis not just of health but of opportunity. For more than a year, they have seen job prospects dry up and their learning interrupted.