Rising NEET Numbers Among UK Youth Spark Government and Political Response
Between July and September 2025, 946,000 young people aged 16-24 in the UK were neither working nor studying, representing more than 1 in 10 of all individuals in this age group.
The issue is more prevalent among young men and particularly concentrated in the North East and East of England regions. Over half of these young people have a health condition, with around one in five experiencing a mental health issue.
Experts link the causes to rising education costs, a stagnant economy, the effects of the pandemic, and recent changes to tax and minimum wage policies, which have increased costs for employers and disproportionately affected young workers. This age group is also almost six times more likely than others to be on zero-hours contracts.
Political polling in the autumn showed varied party support among young demographics: Greens lead among young women; the Reform Party leads among young men without degrees; Labour leads overall among under-30s; and Nigel Farage's party is tied with the Greens at roughly 20% among young men.
The UK government is facing increasing pressure to address these challenges. Former Minister Alan Milburn is scheduled to publish a review next year, while the Youth Guarantee program aims to provide guaranteed paid work after 18 months of not working or studying. Labour MP Pat McFadden is set to outline further details of this scheme.
Policy proposals include Liz Kendall's 'right to try,' which would allow young people to trial jobs without losing benefits if the role is unsuitable.
Some ministers caution that the government's measures may not be radical enough, with unemployment identified as the top issue facing this generation and their parents.
A youth charity leader called the situation a 'guilty secret' and suggested that political willingness to tackle the problem could create an opportunity for leaders willing to confront it.
