Amplifying young voices
In an effort to give young workers a voice at last month’s Davos 2022 meeting, the Nestlé-led Global Alliance for YOUth partnered with NielsenIQ on a global study to identify young peoples’ employment aspirations and pain points post-pandemic.
Through the power of data science and research, the Global Youth Report helped put young peoples’ voices at the center of the global economic agenda. NielsenIQ surveyed nearly 2,000 youths between the ages of 18 and 29, across 19 different countries, to better understand their expectations of employers, perspectives on mental health, sustainability, and more.
The study revealed young people’s attitudes toward and expectations of employers in four key areas:
Pay scale: 74% of global youth consider salary as one of their top three criteria for selecting a job, followed by career growth (52%) and job security (41%).
Upskilling opportunities: While the majority of young people surveyed were confident in their current skill sets, 68% of global youth are looking to employers for financial support to acquire new skills. This expectation is most prevalent among youth in Eastern Europe (77%) and Africa (74%).
Job opportunities and commitment to sustainability: 34% of global youth consider youth unemployment as a critical sustainability issue. This was the top concern for young people in Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Climate change was the top concern for youths in Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Globally, young people are confident that more incentives will help employers achieve their sustainability goals.
Mental health responsibility: The study revealed that the majority of global youth are prioritizing mental health, and 91% agree that corporations should take responsibility for employees’ mental health. Barriers to seeking professional mental health treatment are varied, with 68% identifying cost as a top hindrance, followed by stigma (66%) and lack of awareness of services offered in their country (66%).
About the study
The study was a partnership between NielsenIQ, the Global Shapers Community, and the Global Alliance for YOUth, a business-driven movement of international organizations working together to equip young people around the world with the necessary employment skills to thrive. Since early 2019, the Global Alliance’s member companies have collectively offered more than 30 million development opportunities for youth around the globe.
