The impact of economic digitalisation on the development of government strategies for youth employment

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of government strategies to promote youth employment in the context of the digital transformation of the economy. The methodological framework included an analysis of statistical data from international organisations, a content analysis of strategic documents, and an online survey of 512 respondents. The study used a comparative approach based on the analysis of the experience of Kazakhstan, the European Union, Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova. The survey of young professionals revealed statistically significant differences in the level of digital competencies between the countries of the European Union and neighbouring countries: 7.8 points on a 10-point scale in the European Union and 6.3 points in Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine (U = 4,890, p <0.01), which confirms the existence of a persistent gap in digital training and opportunities for integration into the labour market. The higher average score of digital skills and the share of positive assessments of government support measures in EU countries (62% vs 38%; t(310) = 4.21, p < 0.001; χ² = 24.7, p < 0.001) indicate a synergistic effect of combining advanced digital infrastructure, educational initiatives, and institutional employment support mechanisms. A strong positive correlation has been established between digital skills and employment in the digital sector (rₛ = 0.62, p < 0.001). In the European Union, digital components are integrated into 90% of strategies, institutional support measures, 80%, integration of education and the digital economy, 73%; in Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, these indicators are 60, 45, and 33%, respectively, indicating fragmented approaches and barriers, including lack of practical skills, limited access to targeted internships, and poor integration of educational programmes with the digital sectors of the economy. The practical significance lies in substantiating the priority of the systemic development of digital skills, the integration of educational and labour trajectories, and the expansion of grant, subsidy, and psychological support programmes for the development of sustainable youth employment in the digital economy