Stories

Thu, 26 Feb 2026

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 Nearly a million 16-24 year-olds not working or in education

People at the start of their careers are particularly affected by the UK's weak job market.

* There are now over 957,000 young people (aged 16-24) in the UK who are not in education, employment or training (Neet), a rise of 12.8% of that age group.
* The number of Neets has increased slightly from the previous quarter, but is down 0.4 percentage points compared to the same period last year.
* Young women are more likely to be Neet than young men, with 12.2% of women in this age group out of work, up from 11.6% in the previous quarter.
* The number of young male Neets has dropped slightly to 13.3%.
* The main causes of economic inactivity among young people are long-term sickness, mental illness and neurodivergence.
* Joseph, a 24-year-old with autism, shares his experience of struggling to find work due to lack of understanding from employers.
* Pat McFadden, Work and Pensions Secretary, says the issue of young Neets is a "long-term challenge" and that the government is backing businesses to hire young people through apprenticeships.
* An independent inquiry into the rise in young people not working or studying is under way, led by Alan Milburn.
* The Resolution Foundation has called on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to expand support to tackle youth unemployment, saying the UK is "perilously close" to having a million young Neets.