Javier’s phone buzzed again. Another rejection email. His thumb hovered over the screen, fingers aching from scrolling through countless job listings that led nowhere. The words “thank you for your application” had started to blur together. They all seemed to echo the same hollow message—*we regret to inform you*.

He stared out of the small apartment window, watching the city bustle below. The streets were crowded with people rushing to somewhere, to anything that promised a future. He should be out there, too. At twenty-three, he should have been just starting his career, climbing up that invisible ladder. But instead, he sat in front of his computer every day, applying to anything that didn’t require five years of experience, which, ironically, most jobs seemed to demand.

“Javi, you’ve been on that thing for hours. Get some rest,” his sister, Rosa, called from the kitchen.

He didn’t move. The dull hum of the city outside matched the low ache in his chest. It wasn’t just the lack of a job that weighed on him. It was the uncertainty—the fact that no one seemed to know where the future was headed. The world was changing fast, and not in ways anyone had prepared for.

The ILO’s upcoming report on youth unemployment had made headlines in the last week. They said the job market was evolving rapidly, yes, but there weren’t enough jobs to keep up with the pace of change. Automation was pushing out entire industries, and the gig economy had replaced what used to be stable, long-term employment. But it wasn’t just about machines taking jobs—it was about how the rules were shifting, how traditional career paths were being dismantled.

Javier had been part of the first wave of graduates who were promised a “bright future” in the gig economy. Now, he was starting to think that future might be a lie. The flexibility that had once sounded appealing felt like a trap. Short-term contracts, no benefits, no stability.

The phone buzzed again. This time, it was an alert about a new job posting. He clicked it open—social media manager, required experience: five years.

He snorted bitterly. “Five years?” he muttered.

Rosa entered with a cup of coffee. “Another rejection?”

He nodded, tapping the screen with a flick of frustration.

“Hey, listen,” Rosa said, sitting beside him. “You’re not the only one. I’ve been talking to some friends at university. Everyone’s struggling with this stuff. My friend Carla just finished a tech internship and can’t find a full-time job either. It’s not just you.”

Javier rubbed his eyes, exhaustion creeping in. “I know. But it doesn’t make it easier. I keep thinking if I just try harder, if I just find the right angle... But it feels like the harder I try, the further away it gets.”

Rosa squeezed his shoulder. “We’ll figure it out. Just… don’t let it break you, okay? The world’s changing, sure, but we are too. We’ll adapt. Like we always do.”

Javier sighed, staring at the glowing screen, his finger hovering over another application. The world outside kept moving forward, but he was stuck, trying to keep up with something that felt out of his reach. He wasn’t sure where the next step would take him, but one thing was clear—he couldn’t give up now. Not yet.

With a deep breath, he clicked "apply".