The issue of youth unemployment was the main focus of the G20 Employment Working Group (EWG) meetings held in a Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The meetings stressed taking advantage of behavioral approaches in formulating labor market policies.
Under Saudi Arabia’s presidency of the G20, the EWG focused its discussions during its first two-day meeting in Feb.4 on youth unemployment and data-driven policymaking.
These efforts target reducing youth unemployment by 15 percent by 2025, as agreed upon during the 2015 Turkish Presidency.
Delegations from G20 member states and invited guest countries were joined by international and regional organizations in Jeddah to continue the discussions on the global challenges facing employment.
In 2020, the EWG will focus on three key priorities: Youth unemployment, transitional social protection and behavioral insights for a transitioning labor market.
In its first meeting, Saudi EWG Chair Ahmed al-Zahrani reviewed the key priorities and their link with the Kingdom’s priorities. He also started discussions aimed at addressing youth unemployment and means of using behavioral insights in policymaking.
The meeting addressed issues related to youth including discussions on challenges and opportunities, particularly those “Not in Employment, Education or Training” (NEET).
Participants discussed possible responses by G20 member states that support effective policy implementation and measure the efforts exerted by the G20 in this regard.
The EWG also explored ways in which behavioral insights can be applied to develop evidence-based policy responses to promote employment as a driver of growth and sustainability.
Discussions are scheduled to continue at the next meeting in April.
