Overview
- A Cámara de Comercio de Lima study with EU support found about 73–74% of Peruvian youths aged 18–29 who are not working or studying say they could start a job within 15 days.
- The report divides that group into three profiles: roughly 43% are actively searching and ready to enter work, 31% are available but not looking because of distrust or bad past informal experiences, and about 25.7% face structural blockages mainly tied to care duties.
- Two in three youths reported having mainly informal work experience, which leaves them without certificates or verifiable records and reduces employer trust in hiring them for formal roles.
- Employer hiring practices heighten exclusion: about 66% of firms rely on contacts or recommendations and only 5.8% use public employment services, while some companies are piloting practical skills tests and supervised onboarding to assess and retain young hires.
- Business leaders, government officials and the EU are calling for targeted certification, training aligned with sector needs (for example textile machine operators, water-network technicians, frigoristas and retail socio-emotional skills) and coordinated public–private action to close the gap between readiness and stable formal employment.