Youth employment for inclusive growth: a review and research agenda in global perspective with special reference to India

In instances where the “youth bulge” in developing nations is aggravating the unemployment crisis and contributing to a detrimental cycle of events, inclusive growth (IG) has emerged as a cutting-edge development model. The academic interest in inclusive growth and unemployment-related research is plentiful, but the exclusive search into youth employment for inclusive growth is sparse. Based on a conceptual framework that offers an overview of the topic, this paper examines studies on youth unemployment concerning inclusive growth. It specifically explores the concept of inclusive growth, the financial and socio-psychological aspects of youth unemployment, and ways of tackling unemployment, such as youth entrepreneurship and skill development in pursuit of inclusive growth. By addressing these challenges, the assessment reveals ways to achieve SDGs such as SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth) and SDG 10 (reduced disparities). The relevant literature was extracted using qualitative content analysis and recursive content abstraction approaches. The study adds to the multidisciplinary literature on youth studies, entrepreneurship, and development economics. This study summarises the current level of knowledge on these topics, identifies research gaps, and offers interesting future research directions that will benefit academics and practitioners.