In a climate of unease, youth seek justice and jobs

A new global survey of young people has revealed a paradox about the world we are building: uncomfortable yet hopeful. According to the World Economic Forum’s Youth Pulse 2026 report, more than half of young people worldwide say financial stress and anxiety dominate their lives. Nearly one in two believe that the growing gap between the rich and the poor is the single most important economic force shaping their future. These are not theoretical worries. They are everyday experiences seen in rising rents, uncertain jobs, mounting education loans, recurring climate shocks, and the relentless pressure to get ahead in an unequal world.

The survey, based on responses from nearly 4,600 young people from 489 locations worldwide, captures a generation that is both worried and remarkably clear-eyed. Inflation, instability, and inequality are not just economic trends to them; they are daily constraints on their choices. When as many as 57% say financial worries weigh heavily on their minds, it is not just about short-term difficulties. It reveals a deeper flaw in the system: the economy may be expanding, but everyday life feels insecure, and wealth is being generated without reaching most people. What stands out is that inequality, not unemployment alone, sits at the centre of youth anxiety. Young people are not merely asking for jobs; they are asking for fairness.

Over decades, global economic growth has lifted millions out of poverty, but it has also concentrated wealth in fewer hands. Studies by institutions like the World Bank and Oxfam have repeatedly shown that income and wealth inequality have widened in many countries since the 1990s. Young people today enter labour markets where wages lag behind housing costs, where permanent jobs are replaced by contracts, and where social mobility feels more like an exception than a rule. However, this generation is not paralysed by pessimism. In regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, entrepreneurship has emerged as a powerful force.

Where formal employment systems fail to absorb young people, innovation becomes a survival strategy. From modest digital ventures to neighbourhood businesses, young people are finding ways to create work when jobs are scarce. While this spirit is admirable, it cannot be used as a reason for governments to step back from their duty to ensure stable employment, keep markets fair, and invest in public services.

The priorities young people have identified are strikingly practical. Creating employment opportunities tops the list (57.2%), followed closely by equal access to affordable, quality education (46.1%). Affordable housing and financial independence (32.2%) come next. These are not radical demands. They are the basic pillars of a dignified life. That these still need to be demanded so forcefully tells us how far policy has drifted from everyday realities.

Interestingly, climate change has refused to fade into the background, even under economic pressure. More than half of respondents (56%) see it as the greatest threat to the world, and 41% see it as a direct threat to their own lives. Young people are growing up amid floods, heatwaves, water shortages, and food insecurity. For them, climate change is not a future
scenario; it is a present condition.
What worries many is that climate action is often framed as a trade-
off against jobs and growth, when young people increasingly see it as
inseparable from economic justice.

Involved, but concerned

Politically, the survey pushes back against the idea that young people are apathetic. Nearly half of respondents see positive political changes, such as stronger civic participation and more inclusive policymaking. Notably, 36% say they are likely to run for political office. This is not a disengaged generation, but one that is tired of talk without power, protest without policy, and representation without tangible results.

Trust, however, remains local. Young people place more faith in community leaders than in distant national or global institutions, reflecting a desire for visible and accountable leadership. This also explains why 95% believe purpose-built youth communities are important, as they enable learning and collective problem-solving. That over 800 youth-led initiatives reached more than 2.2 million people in a single year shows that young people are already leading in practice, even without formal power.

Technology adds another layer of complexity. Two-thirds of respondents believe that artificial intelligence will reduce the number of entry-level jobs. This fear is not unfounded. Automation is already reshaping sectors like customer service, data processing, and even creative work. At the same time, nearly 60% of young people regularly use AI to build skills. This mix of unease and confidence captures the mood of the moment. Young people are learning to adjust faster than the systems around them, but they also know that personal adjustment has its limits. Without clear, future-ready policies on education, skill development, and job creation, new technologies risk widening existing gaps rather than closing them.

What the survey reveals is not a generation seeking pity, but one asking to be taken seriously. Young people are fully aware of the challenges before them. They may feel anxious, but they are also informed, involved, and willing to step up. They are not turning their backs on democracy, markets, or technology. They simply want these systems to serve more than a small, privileged minority. Leaders, therefore, must remember that inequality cannot be solved with speeches alone; it demands concrete action. It remains to be seen if they will rise to that expectation.

(The writer is a former professor and dean, Christ University, Bengaluru)