Youth Unemployment and NEETs in the UK: Current Challenges and Government Plans
Between July and September 2025, 946,000 young people aged 16-24 in the UK were not working or studying, accounting for over one in ten of this age group. These young people not in employment, education, or training (NEETs) are more prevalent among young men, with higher rates in the North East and East of England. More than half of these NEETs have a health condition, and about one in five has a mental health condition.
Young people aged 16-24 are also nearly six times more likely to be employed on zero-hours contracts compared to other age groups. Factors contributing to these challenging employment conditions include rising education costs, a flat economy, the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, and changes to taxes and the minimum wage affecting youth hiring.
Political polling by More in Common highlights varying support among young people: the Green Party is strongest among young women, the Reform Party leads among young men without degrees, Labour holds around 30% support among under-30s, and both Greens and Reform have about 20% support in some polls.
The government has identified youth unemployment as a top priority, with a cabinet minister privately describing it as the number one issue. Plans include a Youth Guarantee to provide guaranteed paid work for young people who have not worked or studied for 18 months. Alan Milburn's review on this issue is expected to be published next year, with Pat McFadden set to reveal more details.
Ministers emphasize avoiding debates around welfare and deservingness, aiming to support young people comprehensively. For example, Liz Kendall introduced a right-to-try policy that allows young people to try jobs without risking their income if the job does not work out.
