Five numbers that show the scale of the UK’s youth unemployment crisis

Business & Finance
28 May 2026 • 9:30 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Five numbers that show the scale of the UK’s youth unemployment crisis

  1. An estimated 1.01 million 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK were neither working nor learning between January and March this year, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
  2. This figure represents 13.5 per cent of all 16 to 24-year-olds, an increase from 12.5 per cent recorded a year earlier.
  3. Of those classified as not in education, employment, or training (NEET), 613,000 were economically inactive, meaning they are of working age but not currently seeking employment.
  4. A review by Alan Milburn indicates that the UK's youth unemployment crisis costs the country approximately £125 billion annually, more than the country spends on education.
  5. Mr Milburn's report also highlighted a significant decline in the number of entry-level jobs, noting there are 1.6 million fewer low and medium-skilled positions compared to previous decades.

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