The International Labour Organization predicts global unemployment will reach 6.8% this year

Geneva, May 28 (Xinhua Yang Yi) The International Labour Organization (ILO), based in Geneva, said on 28th that 210 million to 239 million people would be out of work in 2009 and the unemployment rate could reach 6.8%, the highest level since 1991, under the influence of the international financial and economic crisis.　　The International Labour Organization predicted in March this year that the global jobless population would increase by 24 million to 52 million in 2009 compared with 2007, while the new forecast would raise the figure to 39 million to 59 million.　　The report, "Update on Global Employment Trends 2009", notes that the economic crisis is the most severe impact on young people's employment, and that the global youth unemployment rate will add 11 million to 17 million from 2008 to 2009.　　The report also notes that from 2009 to 2015, 300 million jobs needed to be created globally to meet the employment needs of new entrants to the labour market. Juan, Director-General of the International Labour Organization, said on the day that a global employment plan was urgently needed to help mitigate the impact of the current crisis on employment.