World Bank targets 1.2B youth jobs gap with 3-pillar strategy

World Bank President Ajay Banga warns of 1.2 billion young people entering working age in developing countries over 10-15 years, with only 400 million jobs expected to be created. This demographic shift threatens economic stability and national security, as current trajectories leave a staggering 800 million youth without employment opportunities. The World Bank's jobs strategy focuses on three pillars: creating infrastructure (human and physical), fostering business-friendly environments, and helping businesses scale. Key sectors for job creation include infrastructure/energy, agribusiness, primary healthcare, tourism, and value-added manufacturing. The strategy emphasizes aligning skills training with market demand, reducing regulatory uncertainty, and providing financing tools to support SMEs. Failure to address this gap risks irregular migration, conflict, and instability, while successful implementation could transform demographics into engines of growth and stability.

SOURCE: https://nairametrics.com/2026/02/17/how-to-create-jobs-for-the-worlds-1-2-billion-new-workers/