South Africa Has the Highest Youth Unemployment Rate Among G20 Nations

According to data from *tradingeconomics.com*, South Africa has the highest youth unemployment rate among several other G20 countries. The youth unemployment rate in South Africa reached 66.5% in 2021, a 2.1-point increase from the previous year.

Spain had the second-highest youth unemployment rate among G20 countries at 29.2%. Italy followed with a youth unemployment rate of 28%, and India at 24.4%.

Turkey's youth unemployment rate was recorded at 22.3%. France and the European Union had youth unemployment rates of 17.8% and 15.5%, respectively. Youth unemployment in the United Kingdom stood at 11.1%.

Meanwhile, Switzerland had the lowest youth unemployment rate among the G20 countries, at only 2%. Japan was next with a youth unemployment rate of 4.2%.

The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated unemployment, particularly among young people. At least two major challenges arose in employment due to the pandemic. First, many workers shifted to low-productivity sectors, such as agriculture. Second, many workers transitioned to the informal sector.