Gen Z’s rage in Asia is stoked by a staggering jobs crisis
For decades, leaders have relied on strong growth to deliver stability but expansion without jobs is not sustainable
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YOUTH-LED protests across Asia in recent months have centred on corruption, elitism and censorship. But behind Generation Z’s anger lies something even more troubling: a staggering jobs crisis.
The generation born around the turn of the century is facing a bleak economic future. A shrinking pool of jobs and the advance of artificial intelligence (AI) are weighing on their prospects. Left unaddressed, the demographic dividend (which refers to having more people in the workforce than dependents) that leaders like to tout as a guarantee of prosperity can just as easily become a trigger for unrest.
US President Donald Trump’s trade wars and a backlash against globalisation are reshaping labour markets. Youth unemployment in parts of Asia is consistently two to three times higher than national averages, noted Morgan Stanley in a report titled Asia Faces Rising Youth Unemployment Challenge. The few jobs available are too often precarious, underpaid or vanishing to automation.
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