Experts warn that the UK is facing a youth employment crisis after the number of youths not in education, employment and training (NEET) has risen to around 1 million, the highest level in more than a decade.
Numbers from National Statistics Bureau An estimated 987,000 young people aged 16-24 who were in NEET from October to December last year, had an estimated 987,000 young people, up from 877,000 in the fourth quarter of 2023, the highest level since 2013.
The number of NEETs has skyrocketed over 150,000 over the past three years, highlighting the severe rise in young people dropping out of the job market since the height of the co-existence pandemic.
The numbers mean that one in every eight people across the country is hired, educated or trained. This is because employers are not hired, educated or trained as they tackle planned tax increases from the government, tackling increased borrowing costs and slowing economic growth.
The ONS warned that there are issues with the quality of the workforce survey. This means that data must be handled with caution. However, experts said NEETs have been clearly rising in recent years.
Barry Fletcher, CEO of the Youth Futures Foundation, said it shows the UK is facing a “crisis” in young people's jobs. “We need to focus on this issue to prevent the long-term scar effects of young people and achieve the economic growth needed in our country.”
The government has become increasingly unsettled by a significant year breakdown between schools and jobs amid warnings that failing to address the issue could stumble the economy and cause lasting damage to young people across generations.
Labour announced plans for “Youth Guarantee” later last year, with all youth access to education and training, and will launch this spring, including a programme for eight UK mayoral authorities' “Youth Pioneering” schemes.
Experts say the increase in the number of NEETs comes after years of lack of funding for employment support, and the impact of COVID closures and a sharp increase in mental illness health among young people.
Ben Harrison, director of the Lancaster University Work Foundation, said many young people are actively looking for jobs but are struggling to find them.
He said almost half of NEETs risked missing out on the government's youth guarantees. “The government should consider expanding these initiatives,” he said.
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Business leaders have warned that the £25 billion increase in government employer national insurance donations (NICS) will hit youth employment particularly hard, both coming from April, and will be an increase in national living wages, along with a package of national rights reform.
However, TUC general secretary Paul Nowak argued that the “Tory legacy” of youth unemployment should be addressed with the support of more states, rather than low wages or deregulation.
“Youth assurance is the right step,” he said. “However, it must be part of a comprehensive plan to ensure that all young people across the country have access to high-quality training, proper paying jobs, and timely and effective health care.”
